The Years Between
by Anna Louisa
Summary: This is the sequel to my previous story 'After the War: My Version of Those 19 Years'. Please read that first! Here we continue in the missing years, explaining how a certain red-headed little girl came to be...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is the sequel to my previous story, After the War: My Version of Those 19 Years. YOU MUST READ THAT FIRST! Anyways, this is the prologue, and it is _very _depressing and a little maturish, but I sort of thought it was necessary. Anyways, please read! I won't say enjoy, because it's sad, but please read!**

Disclaimer: Oh, seriously, it's not mine, OK?

Prologue: October 14th, 2007

I was curled up on the couch, my hand over my stomach. My whole body was numb. I didn't know if this was because of the medicine or because of the news I'd just received. I couldn't believe this was happening. They promised it would be safe! They told me I'd be fine!

And just like that, I'm sobbing again, curled up and hugging my stomach tightly. I'd just found out the awful news today. At three and a half months pregnant with Harry and I's son, I had miscarried, and the baby was gone. It had been a miracle just to get pregnant, and now our baby had died! To make it even worse, today was the one day Harry hadn't come with me to the doctor's, and I'd had to bear the news alone. Thank heavens Lily and Connor were out for the day. I wouldn't want them to see me like this.

"Ginny? I'm home!" Harry called, his voice cheery as he opened the door. I didn't move. How could I tell him that his child was dead, all because of me? I couldn't.

"Ginny? Are you here? Hello? Lily? Connor?" Harry walked into the living room and spotted me on the couch.

"There you a-Ginny! What's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you sick? Is the baby alright? Ginny-what?" I broke down into sobs again, clutching my stomach. Harry, completely bewildered, quickly sat me up and leaned me against him, letting my snot and tears run onto his work robes. He rubbed my back soothingly, whispering comforting words that meant nothing to me. I had to tell him.

"H-H-Harry," I choked out, pulling back and wiping my tears. "I-I-I n-need to t-tell you something."

"I'm all ears, love. What's wrong?" he asked again, tucking a lock of hair behind me ear.

"I-I-I h-had my doctor's appointment today," I started, fiercely blinking back fresh tears.

"Yes..." Harry said, not seeing where this is going. Damn him! If he could only guess, I wouldn't have to tell him...

"A-and...I g-got some b-bad news," I sob, trying to hold it together. Thirty seconds, Ginevra. You can do this.

"What's the matter? Are you OK? Did you get hurt? Is our son alright?" he asks, laying his hand gently on my stomach, feeling for a baby that's no longer there.

"No," I sob. "He's-he's-" _Spit it out, Ginevra! _I tell myself. "I-I miscarried," I confess, and immediately break down in tears again. I see an intense pain cross Harry's face.

"You...oh, Ginny," he whispers taking me into his arms. His tears stream into my hair, making me cry even harder. Neither of us says anything. There really isn't anything you can say.

After what feels like forever, Harry helps me to my feet and into the kitchen. His eyes are bloodshot and I know mine aren't much better. He makes a cup of tea and we sit, both crying, at the table for another hour at least. Finally, I realize Lily and Connor will be home in twenty minutes.

"Harry, the t-twins will be home soon," I croak, my voice hoarse from tears. He just holds me tighter. I squirm a bit. "I don't want them to see me like this," I tell him. He sighs.

"You are in no condition to be a mother right now," he informs me. Tears flood down my face again, but I know he's right. "Come on. I'm going to say you got sick. Thank Merlin we haven't told anyone but Ron and Hermione yet," he sighs. And I'm thankful, too. Neither of us wanted to tell my family quite yet. Harry thought it would put added stress on the pregnancy, and I didn't want them breathing down my neck. Ron and Hermione had been told only because of my consistent bathroom breaks during the time they were here, and when Hermione took the foil off the casserole dish, I'd barely made it to the sink before vomiting.

"We have to tell them, too," I realized, breaking into tears again. Harry nods, tear tracks glittering on his face.

"But not right away. You need time to recover. Come on." And he scoops me up into his arms princess-style and carries me upstairs to our bed. He tucks me in and lays on top of the comforter with me, stroking my hair gently.

"Harry, I-" I start, but he kisses me, soft and gentle and very very sweet.

"Don't worry, love. Don't even think. Just sleep, alright?" I nod, knowing it's pointless to argue. "I love you," he reminds me, and it feels good to hear that, even after I lost our baby.

"Don't leave me," I whisper. I need him now more than ever.

"Never," he vows, and he stays with me, stroking my hair. I'm nearly asleep when I remember something.

"Harry?" I ask, my voice thick.

"Mm?"

"Promise me something," I say, and he looks down into my eyes.

"What, love?"

"Promise me we'll never try again. Please. I...I'm sorry, but I just can't go through this again. I can't put another child at risk because of my condition." I feel tears leaking out from the corners of my eyes as I speak. Harry looks at me for a moment, his face expressionless. Then he bends down and kisses away my tears.

"I promise, love." And with that, I let the waves of unconsciousness overwhelm me.

**So, yeah. Pretty sad. Please leave a nice review! I recently received an EXTREMELY nasty flame. As in, made me cry nasty. Seriously. So, please be nice to me! Oh, and Happy Friday the 13th! Any Swiftie who recognizes the significance of this date, let me know! So, leave a nice review for me and I'll get Chapter 1 up(which is a little boring but a lot nicer).**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	2. Two Lines

**Quick note: I took this down and then reposted it for editing. I realized I'd made a major typo-Ginny is now nearly one month pregnant.  
**

**Hello all! And may I just say, "WOW!" The response to last chapter was _amazing_! I'm glad to hear you all like me so much! :) As most people guessed, the date was significant because 13 is Taylor Swift's lucky number. Kudos to all! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it was so nice to hear from everyone again! Hope you all enjoy this one! I have some announcements to make, but those can wait till after the chapter. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: Not cool enough to be J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 1: Two Lines

**3 Years Later-October 14th, 2010**

This is not happening, I tell myself firmly as I pace around our bedroom floor. There is no way. Not happening. This is a dream, and I will wake up in a moment. Despite myself, I glance at the clock. It's been three minutes. Ugh. I still have another two more minutes to go. And that's when I give up and admit to myself there is a strong possibility I could be pregnant. Again. After Harry and I swore we'd never have another child. I've always been careful to take the Contraceptive Potion every week. But with the stress of hosting the family dinner last month, I forgot. And(just my luck) that was the week my period was due to start. And it never came. I hadn't realized it at the time, because that was the week Lily had the flu and Connor and ear infection. But now I'm pacing back and forth around Harry and I's room, my hand on my stomach.

What am I going to do if I am pregnant? I mean, yes, my job is relatively simple(I write for the Quidditch column in the _Daily Prophet _from home), but I am going to take every necessary precaution to ensure this is a safe pregnancy. My miscarriage last time was made 1,000 times worse when Hermione announced _she _was pregnant, and I don't want to have to get my hopes up again, only to have them crushed. There has to be _something _I can do. The Healer at my last appointment said the scarring was at it's best yet, and I stood a good chance of having the scars mostly fade away. Unfortunately, she still said that any pregnancy would be dangerous, and highly risky. I'd never given her words a second thought until now. Because I hadn't planned to get pregnant again.

The timer I set goes off and I jump about a foot in the air, then slowly stand up. I'm dreading that darn little Muggle test that I know is sitting on the counter. I drag my feet, but the walk to the bathroom takes no time at all. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, I open the door. There it is. I cross the room and pick it up, taking a deep breath before turning it over.

The little key to the side reads 'Pregnant-Two lines. Not pregnant-One line'. I stare at the lines. Yes, _lines, _plural. I'm pregnant again.

My hand settles gently on my abdomen. Oh. My. God. I don't even know what to think. I just...I'm stunned, actually. I really didn't think this was possible. But it is. And when I think about it, today is actually the three-year mark of losing Harry and I's son. Could this be a sign? Maybe things aren't as impossible as I thought. Maybe I can have this child.

And that thought fills me with joy, and I leap up, yelling with glee. I'm pregnant! I'm going to have another little baby! Lily and Connor will have another sibling! Harry will be so happy! For a moment, all that matters is that I'm going to have another baby to hold-until the worries set in.

What if I miscarry again? I won't lie, it put a strain on Harry and I's marriage for awhile. Really. I never thought anything would drive us apart, but I felt terrible for losing his son-and he seemed distant there for awhile, too, spending more time with Ron and less with me. Actually, a huge fight had resulted over it. That was nasty. But when Lily came running into the room, crying, because she thought Mummy or Daddy was going to leave, we realized we were being stupid and calmed her down before talking it out. Since then, everything's been wonderful.

And if I do miscarry, can I survive the pain? Can Harry and I's marriage survive it? I don't know. I couldn't bear to lose Harry...and then I remind myself that we have two other beautiful children, and that Harry loves me more than anything. I'm being stupid to doubt it. All I have left to do now is tell him about his new son or daughter. And I need to get to St. Mungo's _immediately. _OK, not immediately, but soon.

I feel so confused, but I know I need to schedule an appointment at St. Mungo's now. So I go downstairs and carefully compose a letter, saying I need to see a maternity specialist, but not saying that I think I might be pregnant. The entire Wizarding World knows that Ginny Potter is infertile, thanks to one Rita Skeeter. And that I've already bore two children. Again, thank you, Rita Skeeter.

Once I've sent Amare(one of Hedwig's many offspring) off with my letter, I resume my pacing, meticulously tiding up and moving things about. I'm back to worrying about Harry's reaction again. I mean, I'm quite sure he'll be thrilled(he's always wanted a large family), but what if something happens again? The scarring in my uterus may not be as prominent, but it is still there and it was from a complication due to the scars that I lost Harry and I's son three years ago. I'm scared, I'll be honest. I remember our fight and shudder. That was just awful...

**Flashback**

_"Harry?" I called, hearing the 'whoosh' of the Floo that announced he was home._

_"Yeah, it's me," he called back. I wiped my hands on a towel and went in to greet him. Maybe he'd be in a better mood tonight. But when I reach the living room, he's almost at the foot of the stairs already._

_"Harry, where are you going? Are you even going to say hello to me?" I ask, feeling slightly annoyed that he didn't even talk to me._

_"Hello," he says, one foot still on the stairs. Great. He's in a mood again. He's been coming home silent and surly all this week. I make a mental note to talk to Ron about it. Maybe he knows something._

_"How was your day?" I ask, moving towards him._

_"Fine," he answers. One-word syllables, eh? Wonderful._

_"You're home a little late," I hedge cautiously._

_"Am I? Sorry." I'm really getting annoyed now. What's gotten into him? Does this have something to do with...my...er, tragedy recently?_

_"You promised you'd be home by seven tonight," I remind him, letting my annoyance creep into my voice._

_"What time is it?" he asks._

_"Seven fifteen." He lets out a breath._

_"Really, Ginny? I'm only fifteen minutes late," he gripes, rolling his eyes._

_"Don't you roll your eyes at me! And for your information, you are fifteen minutes too late to kiss your only children good night." This actually isn't true, but he doesn't need to know that. And besides, I told them they were to stay in their rooms until I came to put them to bed._

_"I can go in and kiss their foreheads," he replies, waving his hand. My temper starts to rise._

_"And then you can spend the rest of the evening avoiding me, huh?" I accuse._

_"I don't avoid you, Ginny, don't be melodramatic."_

_"What do you call it, then?" I'm not going to let him get away with this one. He glares at me, an expression of anger I've never seen before in his emerald eyes._

_"I'm tired and I need my rest. My job is sort of demanding, you know. Unlike you, who has the luxury of sitting around all day." His words feel like a slap to the face. Well, then, if that's the way he wants it..._

_"I believe it takes two to agree to that arrangement, Mr. Potter," I reply coolly. "I don't recall you having a problem with it when it allowed me to take care of our children." He just sighs._

_"That was before you started demanding I talk to you in the evenings," he snapped back. I feel a surge of hot rage rise in me._

_"Well, I'm sorry to demand so much of your time. I understand that as your wife I'm really not that important in your life, but you could at least make an effort to put up with me," I spit at him. He drops his briefcase._

_"I never said that."_

_"You implied it."_

_"Well, maybe you didn't understand what I was implying because you don't even talk to me anymore!"_

_"And who's fault is that?" I demand, my voice rising. "Who hasn't talked to me for almost a month? Who never gets home on time? I can tell you this, Harry, it isn't me!"_

_"Who has the harder job here?" he retorts. "Who works hard to keep a roof over your ungrateful head?" My temper snaps._

_"Ungrateful? Harry James Potter, after all this time you have the nerve to call me ungrateful? How dare you! I appreciate everything you've done for us, and you know that!" I'm nearly yelling now. He turns to face me fully._

_"Well, you haven't exactly been acting like it recently," he hisses, his eyes narrowed._

_"Maybe you don't know that because you're never around! Is this something to do with my..." I gesture to my abdomen, and he winces._

_"Don't bring that into this," he says harshly._

_"Why not? I know you were upset, Harry, and I was too, but that's no reason to push away the rest of your family! Do you not think it hurts me everyday that I can't give you the family I know you want? Do you think it's harder on you? I carried that child, Harry, I felt it inside me and I went through all the god awful symptoms! Don't you dare say it's harder on you!" My voice breaks, and I'm near tears, though I don't know if it's tears of rage or of sorrow._

_"It is hard on me, Ginevra, going to work everyday and watching my best friends so lovey dovey and happy! I don't begrudge them their baby, but it hurts to know that they've got a beautiful little girl on the way and I don't have anything!" His voice is far too loud now._

_"Do you think I don't feel the same way every time I see any of my sister in laws? Everyone is expecting, I swear! Or has a newborn! And just so you know," I add, my voice suddenly dropping, "you have a beautiful little girl upstairs, and a wonderful son, too. But you don't know it because you're always at work with your best friends who can still have a family!" I know instantly I've gone too far, and I regret my words._

_"My family means more to me than anything! And just in case you've forgotten, it is YOUR fault I missed out on raising a baby! Your fault I didn't know those children for the first year of their life! Because you hid them from me! Is it so bad that I want to have the experience of holding a baby, Ginevra?" Now he's gone too far._

_"You know why I did that! Yes, it was wrong, but you said you'd forgiven me and that was seven years ago, Harry! Do you remember what happened when I brought them back? RITA SKEETER BLOODY ATTACKED THEM FOR TWO WEEKS!" I'm screaming now._

_"RIGHT? AND GUESS WHAT? SHE ALSO ATTACKED YOU FOR A FEW WEEKS BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T HAVE A CHILD ANYMORE! AND WE'RE DAMN LUCKY SHE HASN'T GOTTEN HOLD OF THIS EITHER! I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO HOLD A BABY OF MY OWN, NEVER GET TO SEE YOU GROW BIG AND THEN HELP YOU THROUGH THE DELIVERY, ALL BECAUSE YOU HID FROM ME FOR A YEAR AND THEN GOT IN THE WAY OF ROOKWOOD!" I've never seen him this angry before._

_"RIGHT, BECAUSE IT WAS ME ROOKWOOD WAS TARGETING, HUH? ME HE TRACKED ACROSS THE WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY! I DON'T THINK SO, HARRY POTTER, IT WAS YOU!"_

_"ARE YOU BLAMING ME?" he asks at the top of his voice._

_"YEAH, MAYBE I AM!" I yell back._

_"WELL THEN JUST GET OUT!" he screams. My rage doesn't even allow me to think straight. I just scream back at him._

_"MAYBE I WILL!"_

_But just as he opens his mouth, a black-haired figure in a white nightdress comes running down the stairs._

_"No! No! No!" Seven year old Lily sobs, clinging tight to me. "Don't make her leave, Daddy! Please! I love Mummy! Don't you love her, too?" she asks, her big green eyes staring at him beseechingly. For the first time, I realize the damage we could have done, and I clap a hand to my mouth as the full impact of the words I've said hits me. Harry looks me straight in the eye, all anger and rage gone._

_"Of course I love her, Lily," he says, more to me than her. The emotions that sweep through me are overpowering and I press my hand to my mouth harder to suppress a sob._

_"See, Mummy, Daddy loves you. Please don't go," Lily begs, hugging tight to me, her green eyes wide. Glancing up, I see Connor at the top of the stairs, leaning on the railing, watching us, his face pale, brown eyes huge._

_"Come here," I call to him, and he jets down the stairs as well, not even hesitating to give me a hug. "I won't leave anybody," I promise them. "Not Daddy, and certainly neither of you. Everything's going to be alright, I promise. Mummy and Daddy were just upset, OK? Give Daddy a hug and someone will be up to kiss you goodnight in a minute."_

_"Promise?" Connor asks, looking straight at my eyes._

_"Promise." He relaxes, then hugs me, then heads over to Harry._

_"Night, Daddy." Harry sweeps him up in a huge hug._

_"Night, little man." He ruffles Connor's hair, then sends him up the stairs. Lily watches Harry apprehensively. She's never heard him yell like that before, and I've only heard it once._

_"Go give Daddy a hug, Lily," I urge. She looks at me, then takes a slow step towards her father._

_"Come here, sweetie," he says in his gentle tone, the tone he reserves for her and her alone. "I'm not going to yell anymore." She hesitates for the space of a second, then runs into his arms. He picks her up and holds her tightly._

_"Please don't make Mummy leave, Daddy," I hear her beg. His emerald eyes find mine and I see the regret in them._

_"I won't, Angel," he whispers to her. "I love her too much." Then he sets her down and kisses her forehead. "Run along and I'll be up soon, OK?"_

_"OK." She hugs me, then runs up the stairs to her room, leaving Harry and I alone. We just look at each other for a moment. Then he holds out his arms, and without hesitation, I run into them, breaking down as he wraps me in his warm, strong, safe embrace._

_"Ginny, I am so, so, so sorry," he whispers. "That was completely uncalled for."_

_"I'm sorry, too. I didn't really mean any of that," I admit to his chest, inhaling his scent deeply._

_"Me, neither. Except the part about loving you," he adds, kissing the top of my head._

_"I know. I love you, too," I remind him. He smiles._

_"I know."_

_"I think we need to have a little talk after we get Connor and Lily into bed," I sigh, resting my head against his chest._

_"I think we needed to have that talk a long time ago," he mutters. "I'm so sorry. I was so selfish, and-" I cut him off._

_"No, shh. We can talk later. We need to get our beautiful twins to bed first," I whisper softly, laying a finger on his lips. A green fire that I haven't seen in awhile kindles to life in his eyes._

_"But before we put the twins to bed..." he says, and I know what's coming. He lowers his lips to mine, and to my great surprise, kisses me very, very passionately before pulling away. I'm completely breathless._

_"How about we go put the twins to bed now so we can have that talk?" I ask after a moment. He kisses me softly once and agrees._

**End Flashback**

I find myself at the foot of the stairs, right where the fight took place. I hope we don't wind up in that position again. I hated fighting with him. But thankfully, we had our talk and then after that...hmm, a night of making up lost passion, let's put it that way. We've never been so agitated with each other after that. Yes, we've argued, but nothing serious. This...this, however, is sort of a big deal. The best I can do is pray that he takes it well. And that's when I glance at the clock and realize he's due home any minute now.

I dash upstairs and throw out the pregnancy test, making sure to clean up all evidence of the fact that it ever existed. Then I hurry downstairs and put a pot of tea on for the two of us to share. I know he'll want some. And then...there's nothing left to do but wait. The minutes tick by slowly as I go through the tea-making process. And, finally, when the kettle's ready and I've decided I really am going to go insane waiting for him to get home, I hear the 'whoosh' of the Floo and his voice as he calls out to me.

"Ginny, I'm home!"

**So, I don't feel it's my best work, but I hope you all enjoy it! Please review! Anyways, I'd just like to say that I will be posting another fanfiction in a few weeks. It has nothing whatsoever to do with this story, it's a new story on it's own. It's going to be called 'Seven Songs to Change His Mind', and is based off an idea I read(used with the author's permission). So keep your eyes open-haha, TS reference- for that one. Please leave a review on this chapter! I'll update sooner!**

**Lovelovelove -D-**


	3. One Promise Broken

**Hey people! I'm back after another amazing response to the first chapter! I'm so glad to hear you all liked it! Several of you liked the flashback scene, and I just wanted to say I did, too! It was my favorite part to write. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING! I'd like to announce(to those who don't know) that Pottermore has opened! So make sure you all go check it out! I'm waiting for my email, but I can't wait to get in! Also, I'd like to wish the amazingly wonderful and beautiful Emma Watson a happy 22nd birthday! I can't believe she's already 22! Seems like yesterday she was the bushy haired 11 year old boarding the Hogwarts Express with Harry and Ron. How time flies! In addition, I made some changes to the last chapter-Ginny is actually one month pregnant, not one week. Pardon my computer, it does strange things. Sorry, that was long. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. As per usual.

Chapter 2: One Promise Broken

I swear to God I stop breathing for the smallest space of a second. Really.

"Ginny?" Harry calls again, coming into the kitchen. I manage a smile as I turn around, tea and biscuits in hand.

"Hello, love," I greet him, setting the kettle and plate down and going to hug him. "How was your day?"

"Surprisingly boring," he admits. "Nothing huge going on. Ron and I mostly played chess all today." I can't help but roll my eyes at this one. I love my husband to death, but he and my brother are just too lame.

"I'm so glad the government is paying you to sit around and play chess the entire day," I reply teasingly, poking him in the stomach and taking the tea and biscuits to the table.

"Oi! This is the only day since I started the job that I've ever been lazy. Cut me a break," he defends playfully, plopping into the chair opposite me and grabbing a biscuit. I pretend to think it over.

"Fine," I finally sigh, settling back into my chair with a cup of tea. "You can have a break. I should think you deserve one, anyway," I add, my playful tone vanishing. Harry just shakes his head.

"We've got a lot to do, Ginny. It's not easy, being the policemen of the Wizarding World." He shakes his head and gives a little half-smile, but I'm still confused.

"Policemen?"

"Never mind," he laughs, leaning back in his chair and surveying me, green eyes sparkling. "So what do you want to do with the-" he checks his watch, "-two hours we have while our children enjoy a day with their grandmother?" I think it over. Yes, he needs to be told, but why not have a little fun telling him?

"How about a walk in the park? I haven't been outside in ages," I reply, looking wistfully at the maple tree outside. The leaves are red, gold, and a burnt orange, and I always keep the curtains open this time of year to see the trees.

"A walk sounds wonderful," Harry agrees. "I spend most days inside, after all." So we finish our tea and then get our coats on, walking the two blocks to the park down the street hand-in-hand. As we approach, I get the customary deja vu when entering, remembering the first time I was here. Harry wasn't with me then. An elderly lady had realized that my children were the illegitimate children from the _Daily Prophet_, and let's just say she wasn't very happy with that. I wound up in tears.

But now I'm here with Harry, and there's a wonderfully cool autumn breeze, and everything actually seems peaceful. I try to let myself relax as Harry and I wander around the park, talking about nothing and just absorbing the beauty of nature.

A couple with a baby in a pram walk by, a look of tiredness and happiness on their faces. I know that look well. It's the one I used to wear all the time in those first few months with Connor and Lily. The few pictures of me in their Moments Book show that exact look. I turn to Harry, remembering the fact that we may be wearing that look soon, to find him staring wistfully at the baby carriage. He sees me looking and jumps.

"Sorry, Gin, I didn't mean to-"

"Shh," I cut him off. "I know you want one. It's not exactly a secret, you know," I point out. He's very good with all the young Weasleys, and as much as he loves Lily and Connor, I know just how badly he wants another child.

"I do," he admits, looking after the couple and their baby again. "I mean, I know it's a mess, with diapers and late nights and feedings and all sorts of challenges, but I really do want one," he says, and the longing in his tone almost breaks my heart.

"Yeah, they really are worth it in the end, huh?" I ask, smiling up at him. He looks down at me again.

"Yes, but I've got two beautiful children already. And you," he adds, love in his eyes. "I have you." He leans down to kiss me, but I pull back sooner than I normally would have.

"You say you want another one," I begin slowly, knowing that this is probably a pretty good time to tell him.

"Yes, that would be nice. But we made a promise not to try again, and I don't want either of us to have to go through that again," he shudders, reliving some horrifying memory. I sigh.

"Well, that's one promise broken." He doesn't seem to realize what I just said for a moment. Then his brows crinkle.

"Pardon?" His eyes lock on mine. "What does that mean?" Thankfully, he doesn't sound angry-yet.

"Well," I say slowly, the just decide to screw the act and tell him. "I'm...pregnant."

I kid you not, his mouth dropped open into a perfect 'o' and he stared at me for a full thirty seconds, not realizing how stupid he looked.

"You're...pregnant?" he finally asks in a whisper. I nod a bit nervously, too worried to be sarcastic. "That's...that's...that's fantastic! Oh, Ginny, oh my God! We're going to be parents again! Merlin's beard!" he exclaims, his voice growing louder with each word. He swings me around, then sets me carefully back down on my feet and pulls me tight to him, kissing me passionately. When I finally pull away, gasping for breath, I see the warm, loving look in his eyes as he looks at me.

"Oh, Ginny, I can't believe it! That's wonderful! I...I just don't know what to say!"

"You don't have to say anything," I reply softly, then reach up to kiss him again. He kisses me back, and for a few moments we just stand there, lost in the feel of each other and the wonderful happiness that my announcement has brought. Then Harry pulls away.

"Wait...what about your potion?" he asks, wrinkling his brow. "Why didn't you take it? Ginny, you know you have to! What if you get hurt? What about the baby?"

"Slow down, Harry, let me explain," I interrupt before he gets too agitated. "I did not deliberately forget to take my potion, I would never do that. When we hosted the family dinner last month, I was extremely stressed out-"

"That's an understatement," he mutters. I ignore him.

"And I forgot to take it that morning. I've already sent an owl to St. Mungo's, saying I need to see a maternity specialist. Don't worry, Harry," I add, seeing his brows furrow. "I promise I'll do everything I can to keep myself and the baby safe."

"I know you will, Gin. But...I'm still worried. I'll probably feel better once we go to St. Mungo's. Do you think they'll reply soon?" he asks.

"Considering I'm Ginny Potter and I'm supposedly infertile, I should say they would," I answer casually. He laughs, then takes my hand, and we continue our stroll around the park, talking about nothing and everything at the same time.

"So do you think it's a girl or a boy?" Harry finally asks. "Just curious. They say mothers know the gender. Something about a sixth sense." I nod slowly.

"When I was carrying the twins, I knew I was having a girl before I knew I was having twins. Mothers instinct. But..." I frown. "I don't know this time around. I'm only a month along, anyways."

"Do you think we should find out?" Harry asks. I shake my head.

"No. We have baby boy stuff and baby girl stuff, it'd be nicer to have a surprise," I decide. He nods.

"Alright. Did you find out with Lily and Connor?" he asks. I nod.

"Yes. Just so I knew what clothes to buy and what sort of names to pick out," I reply. He nods, then smiles again.

"I just can't believe it, Ginny! That's...a miracle, really!" He hugs me tight to him again. I hug him back, a smile on my face, but in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, _I only hope we don't lose this miracle as well._

__**Once more, hope you all liked it, I know it was rather short. Please review!**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	4. St Mungo's Visit Part 1

**OHMYGODIAMSOSORRY! SORRY SORRY SORRY! I know it's been forever since I updated, but life decided it was time to throw me as many freaking curveballs as it could. I am so so so so so sorry! I know you've been waiting for this, so I'll let you read and explain more at the end of the chapter.**

Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Harry. Potter. OK?

Chapter 3: St. Mungo's Visit Part 1

The six week appointment for me and the baby draws nearer and nearer. I've decided not to tell anyone until at least two and a half months. I have a feeling my mother will know anyway, however. It's like she's got a sixth sense or something. It's actually pretty creepy, but she knew exactly when Fleur and Fiona were expecting their second children, knew when Hermione was pregnant with Rose before she made the announcement, and knew Hermione was carrying Hunter before Ron did. So I put off the two family dinners before the visit to St. Mungo's. Harry and I told everyone I was sick, and then that the illness had passed to the twins. I don't know who actually believed that, though.

When the day finally comes(October 28th), I wake up at 5:30, before even Harry. I rub my stomach gently, wondering what we're about to find out today. There's only the slightest bulge there, but I can see it, and my hand wanders to it constantly. I'm just so excited to have another baby. To hold and cuddle it, to play with it, watch it grow...and most importantly, to see Harry finally get the chance to see his baby grow. I feel another twinge of guilt at the fact that I hid Lily and Connor from him all those years ago, but I push it aside. What matters now is the baby inside of me.

When it's finally 7 o'clock, I roll over and pull myself out of bed. I've been laying here for the past two and a half hours doing nothing, so I figure it's high time I got up. And besides, Connor and Lily will be up soon. I can make them pancakes. Luna and Neville are coming over to watch them today. They're both extremely excited.

"Ginny?" Harry calls sleepily as I open the door to our room. I turn around.

"Good morning, handsome," I reply softly. He might not be entirely awake. "Are you awake?"

"I think so," he yawns, sitting up, stretching, and rubbing his eyes. He sits still for a second, staring at the floor, then his eyes snap to me. "It's today, isn't it?" he asks. I just nod. He lets out a breath. "Oh, boy."

"Boy," I muse, laying a hand on my stomach. "That feels right."

"What?" Harry inquires, coming over and wrapping me in his arms. I lay my head on his shoulder.

"I think it's a boy," I answer. "It...feels right." He snorts. "What? It does, and besides, I knew I was having a girl, didn't I?" I argue.

"Well, you had one of each, love," Harry reminds me. "So that's not exactly fair."

"But Lily was born first," I reply, poking him gently in the shoulder. "I win. I'm making pancakes, do you want any?" His eyes light up. Merlin, he has the Weasley appetite.

"Yes, please!"

"Go get changed, then. I have a feeling neither of our children would like it if you showed up like that," I tease, taking in the fact that he's only wearing boxers right now. He winks at me.

"Bet you wouldn't mind, eh?" I simply poke my tongue out at him and leave the room. His laughter follows me all the way downstairs.

I get the pancakes ready by hand, too nervous to use magic. And in any case, I left my wand upstairs by accident. Not a good idea. I've been careful to keep it on me at all times since the Rookwood incident. If there was one thing I learned from that, it was to never let your guard down(which, in retrospect, is something I probably should have learned a very long time ago).

Connor is actually the first to arrive in the kitchen. He comes in in his white and red striped pajamas, yawning adorably.

"Morning, Mum," he greets me. "Are those pancakes?" I laugh. My son, ever the Weasley.

"They sure are, big guy. Go and sit down. First batch should be ready in a few minutes, alright?"

"Can't you make it move faster?" he whines. He's seen both Harry and I use magic before, and yes, I've used it to speed up cooking time more than once.

"I forgot my wand, Connor, sorry. I assure you you won't wither away to nothing." He just sighs and slumps in his seat.

By the time the pancakes are being served, Harry's arrived in the kitchen and he claims to have awoken our daughter as well. He insists I eat before he does, and as Lily's still not there, all three of us get a few pancakes. I've just returned to the griddle to make more when my little girl bounces down the stairs.

"Good morning, Mummy!" she chips, hugging me tightly. I hug her back, stroking her hair. It's still black as ebony, and very very long, much like I used to wear mine. Lily's hair has actually started to curl just a bit at the ends, and she's thrilled. Connor's, on the other hand, is a vibrant orange and prone to sticking up in all directions, just like his father's.

"Good morning, dear. Ready for some pancakes?" I ask as she releases me and heads to the table.

"Morning, Daddy, Connor. Yes, please, Mum, that would be lovely." I have to suppress a smile. Of our twins, Lily is very prim and proper, sweet and sensible. She's intelligent and highly logical. However, she has a fiendish side, one you don't often see in the absence of Victoire. I've always said it's her Weasley side.

Connor, however, is rash and outspoken, much bolder than Lily. He's smart, too, but much prefers real situations to books and papers. His Weasley side is very prominent, as he's always laughing and joking and pranking(thank you, George). He keeps us on our toes, me especially, but I wouldn't trade him for the world. He's got a different side to him, too, one I like to call the Potter side. He's got the sweeter side, too, and he's actually got a very kind nature, he's just a tad brash, so you don't see it right away.

I bring the pancakes over and set them down in front of my family. Harry and Connor promptly both reach for the butter and syrup, then both stop when they realize neither Lily nor I have had a chance with them.

"Oh, sorry, Mum. You and Lils can go first," Connor says, withdrawing his hand. Harry nods as well. I smile, and so does Lily. One good thing about Potter men: They're extremely chivalrous. So Lily and I help ourselves to the syrup and butter, then let Connor and Harry attack them. I don't eat much, just a couple pancakes. Harry's glaring daggers at me, but I'm really not that hungry. And I feel like I'll burst if I try to eat any more.

"Ginny," he hisses, coming over as I flip more pancakes. "You need to eat! You're eating for two, you know." I sigh.

"Harry, I know it's your first time going through this, but it's my second. I can't eat any more, really, I feel like I'll burst. I promise, everything is fine. There were times when I didn't eat much with Lily and Connor, either. Please relax, love, nothing's wrong," I reassure him. He still has a worried line between his eyebrows.

"Gin-"

"Harry, I'm fine. Go sit. Now," I command. He doesn't need to hover over me, I know what I'm doing. He obeys me, though still looks a little worried.

"What time is Aunt Luna coming over, Mum?" Lily asks as I bring the pancakes over to the table.

"About nine thirty," I answer nervously, my hand rubbing my stomach absentmindedly. Thankfully, neither of my children notices. Harry does, though, and shoots me a reassuring smile.

"Hey, Dad, when are we going to get our Hogwarts letters?" Connor asks after a short silence. "We're magic, right?" I look up at Harry.

"Of course you're magic, Connor," he replies gently, turning to talk to our son. "But your letters won't come until next summer, alright? You and Lily weren't old enough to go to Hogwarts, so you should get your letters in July," Harry tells Connor. Connor furrows his brow.

"How long is that?" he asks. I suppress a giggle. Our son loves to know exactly when everything's going to happen.

"Nine-nine months..." Harry gasps. I stare at him, my eyes wide. July is in nine months. Nine months...I'll be giving birth in nine months. So that's when I'll be due. July. The month Harry's birthday is in...

"Um, Mum? Dad? Are you alright? Mum!" I finally jerk out of my trance and turn to look at my daughter.

"Sorry, Lily, I spaced out there for a moment. What were we talking about again?" I make an effort to sound normal, but I can hear past my composure. So can my daughter, it seems.

"What's the matter, Mum?" she asks quietly. Connor looks up, listening. "Are you and Daddy OK?" She looks a little worried now.

"Yes, sweetie, everything is fine, I promise," I reassure her, not trusting myself to look at Harry.

"Why are you and Dad leaving today?" Connor inquires. Damn, he's way too intelligent.

"We have some errands to run, Connor, we told you that," Harry sighs.

"Are you going to Diagon Alley?"

"No, we'll be in Muggle London," I answer calmly. They're not getting told, no matter how hard they try. I'm the parent here, after all. Well, and Harry, but he's not being a big help right now. "Go on upstairs and get dressed," I tell my twins. "Go on. I promise everything is fine. We need some Mum and Dad time, alright? Now go!" And they're off instantly. I sigh and slump back in my seat, suddenly exhausted.

"They're a lot like you, you know," Harry muses. I look up at him, startled.

"How so?"

"Well, they have to know everything that's going on, and they'll interrogate you until you tell them. They know exactly when even an inkling of truth is being kept from them. They're very perceptive that way." He stands and stretches. "It'll be interesting to see what House they get Sorted into once they're at Hogwarts, won't it?"

"Yes, it will. I can't see either of them as a Slytherin or Hufflepuff, but I could see Lily as a Ravenclaw and Connor a Gryffindor." Now that I say it aloud, I actually can see it. For their own sake, I hope they're in the same House.

"Hey, Harry, what time is it?" I ask, coming out of my daze.

"Eight forty-five," he replies. I leap to my feet.

"Really? Merlin's beard, I've got to get going!" I exclaim. And I do.

By the time Luna arrives at nine thirty, the twins have gotten dressed, brushed their teeth, made their beds, and(in Lily's case) brushed their hair, and so have Harry and I. As a matter of fact, I was pacing in front of the fireplace for the first five minutes before she got there. When she finally did(Neville in tow), I was so startled I nearly tripped over the coffee table. How graceful.

"Ginny! Nice to see you-whoops! Are you OK?" Neville asks, reaching out to catch me before I hit the ground.

"Hi, Neville-yes, I'm fine, just not very graceful," I reply with a laugh as Harry enters the room.

"Hey, guys!" he exclaims, hugging both Neville and Luna. As Luna brings her arms up around Harry's back, something on her left hand catches the light.

"Luna, what's that?" I ask, reaching for her hand. Sure enough, a diamond ring glitters there. I stare at Neville, who's started to blush.

"You're engaged?" Harry yelps. There's a split silence, then Luna nods, a dreamy smile on her face.

"That's fantastic! Oh my goodness, Luna why didn't you tell me?" I babble, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I was going to, really, but I wanted to tell you in person, so I waited until now!" When I look at Luna properly, she seems as though she's really glowing. I can't believe it. I never thought _Luna_ of all people would be one to settle down! And with Neville, nonetheless! But they did seem to spend some time together at Harry and I's wedding, and who knows? Maybe sparks flew.

"Anyways, I wanted to ask you if you'd be one of my bridesmaids! The wedding's in April, and I've already found the perfect spring dresses..." Luna rambles on, but my face falls. I would love to be in Luna's wedding, but there is one problem with April. I will be six months pregnant by then, and who knows if I'll be able to even attend the wedding? And if I do, I'll have a big huge stomach out in front of me, which is not very attractive. I glance at Harry, but he's not paying attention. Big help he is.

"So what do you say, Ginny? Will you be my bridesmaid?" Luna asks, beaming. I open my mouth to answer but am cut off by my children.

"Neville!"

"Aunt Luna!"

"Hey, guys!" Luna calls as Lily and Connor come shooting down the stairs. "How nice to see you two! Oh, how you've grown," she gushes, hugging them both tightly. I'll admit I was a bit surprised when Connor let her hug him. He doesn't mind if Harry hugs him, but more recently, he's been reluctant to hug me. I suppose it's just part of him growing up, but I miss my son's hugs.

"Ginny?" Harry calls from behind me. "We've got to go, love."

"Oh, right," I reply, jerking out of my thoughts. "Sorry." I turn back to Neville and Luna. "They should be fine, but I don't know how long we'll be. If it gets past noon, go ahead and feed them. But I'm sure you'll have a great time anyways." I smile at my twins. "Come here and give Mummy a hug," I call, and Lily willingly comes over. Connor follows, too. I kneel down and hug the two of them tightly. Connor squirms away after a bit, though.

"Mum, I'm not a baby any more," he complains, pulling away from me. I feel tears spring to my eyes. Damn pregnancy hormones!

"But you're still my son, right? So I can hug you?" I ask, feeling the tears spill over. Connor shifts.

"Teddy says it's not cool to have your Mum hug you any more," he answers, looking at the ground. I press my hand to my mouth and feel Harry come up behind me.

"Connor James Potter, I don't know where you're getting these ridiculous ideas, or where Teddy's getting them, for that matter, but it is perfectly fine to let your mother hug you! Your uncles all let their mothers hug them when they were ten," he adds, glaring at Connor, who's cheeks are as red as his hair.

"Sorry, Mum," he whispers, then hugs me, long and hard. I feel my tears trickle down my face as he lets go and I have to wipe them away. Then I stand and wave goodbye one last time before stepping into the Floo.

"Come on, guys," Luna calls. "Let's head outside." Lily and Connor follow her eagerly, and once they're gone, I yell out, "St. Mungo's!" and let the Floo whisk me away.

I come out in the lobby of St. Mungo's, and I have to steady myself on a chair as Harry comes whooshing in.

"Ginny!" he calls, then sees me standing there, my handkerchief still in my hand. "Hey, love, don't worry about it. It's probably just a stage he's going through. Don't cry," he adds, hustling me over to two empty seats. I can't help myself, even though I know it's just the hormones.

"But he's growing up so fast, Harry! And he's only ten! But next year he'll be going to Hogwarts! He's so big already," I sob, wiping my now-consistent flow of tears. Harry takes a seat next to me and rubs my back gently.

"I know, love, I feel the same way. But remember-" he places a hand over my abdomen gently "-we've got another one on the way. And you'll get to experience everything again, right?" I've just opened my mouth to nod when I see the flash of a camera. Harry swears and jerks around in his seat, but it's too late: the photographer that just snapped our picture is already in the Muggle street beyond. I realize what he just saw with a gasp of horror: The infertile Ginny Potter with her husband Harry. And his hand on my stomach.

He knows I'm pregnant.

**Not much going on in this chapter, but I had to give you something! Next chapter should be up tomorrow, assuming reviews are good of course!**

**Anyways, I would like to apologize again for not updating sooner. I did get amazingly wonderful reviews(keep 'em coming-I love 'em!), but I was very lacking in motivation and extremely tired, busy, sore...you name it. However, I finally kicked my butt into gear after finals and got you all a chapter, so please review and make it worth my while! :)  
**

**Also, my new story should be up tomorrow as well. It's a story about Ginny, Harry, and singing...nuff said. Please go check it out once I get it up! I'm not too sure about the idea, and it's really OOC, but hey, it's fan fiction, right?  
**

**Speaking of OOC, I'm getting sick of the flames on After the War that say, 'This story is terrible. Ginny is so OOC.' I KNOW SHE'S OOC! I WROTE HER THAT WAY. Please people, be realistic and realize that I am not perfect and neither is my writing, nor is it canon. If you don't like it, why the hell are you reading it?  
**

**And lastly. This story is set to be finished by early June, so just saying. If not earlier. My laptop is going in for matinence then and I have no idea when I'll get it back. But I just wanted to let you all know.  
**

**If you read all that, thank you for putting up with my babbling, and please now leave a review so I will add to that cliffhanger! Please?  
**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	5. St Mungo's Visit Part 2

**Hello, all, I'm back! Sorry, I sort of left you all hanging there, didn't I? Sorry! Anyways, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: Yeah, I so wish I was lucky enough to own HP...

Chapter 4: St. Mungo's Visit Part 2

"Shit!" I shriek. Harry clenches his fists. I bury my head in my hands. Wonderful. Now the entire Wizarding World will know I'm pregnant. Reporters at my door, Lily and Connor not able to leave...oh, that's wonderful, just wonderful. I start to cry, but I'm more thinking the tears are ones of anger. I'm pretty surprised when Harry doesn't comfort me, but when I look up, he's gone.

"Harry?" I call, looking around, hastily wiping away my tears. Almost the entire lobby is staring at me now. I feel myself start to blush, and I turn from all the staring eyes. I feel so vulnerable, so unprotected right now. Where did Harry go?

Trying to look casual, I get up and look out the window. He's nowhere in sight. I'm starting to worry a bit now. Where did he go? Why didn't he tell me where he was going?

I go back to my seat and sit down, but I can't stop myself from twisting my hands in my lap and glancing around. People have mostly stopped staring now, but a few are still gazing at me-and I don't like the looks on their faces. So it's a relief when the Healer comes out about two minutes later.

"Ginevra Potter?" she called. I stood up. "Healer Medicus will see you now," she smiled. I returned her gesture and then followed her through the doors and into a small room. "He'll be right with you," she informed me, then left. I started twisting my hands together again. Where did Harry go? He was going to miss the appointment if he didn't-

"Ginny? Ginny, where are you?" I leapt off the bed and ran to the door.

"Harry?" He's at the end of the corridor, holding something in his hand. He sees me and a smile a mile wide lights up his face.

"Hey, love," he calls, then enters the room quickly. I move out of his way and stare at him, dumbfounded, as he smiles at me. And then my brain unfreezes.

"Harry James Potter, where the _hell _did you go?" I ask, my voice quiet and deadly. He backs up immediately.

"Gin, calm down. I went to get this," he says, holding up a small black camera pleadingly.

"What is that?" I demand, distracted by the Muggle item. "It looks like something Colin Creevey used to tote around."

"It is," Harry replies, looking relieved that I didn't start screaming at him. "The photographer from the Daily Prophet used it to take that picture of us." My mouth drops open.

"And you got it back?"

"Yes. I followed him and then took the camera from him. Remember, I put a restraining order on them for everyone in the family. They're not supposed to come near any of you." I remember all too clearly the occasion on which Harry got a restraining order, and I grimace.

"So where is he now?"

"Well, as it's his first infraction, he had to be let off with a warning, but he's not allowed to speak of what he saw and I've got the camera," he replies, holding it up again. I stare at him again for a moment, comprehending what he did. And then I launch myself on him and kiss him, hard.

"Thanks," he breathes when we pull away. "What was that for?"

"For keeping my pregnancy a secret from the Wizarding World for a little while longer," I reply, tangling my hands in his hair. I'm about to kiss him again when there's a knock on the door and the sound of someone clearing his throat awkwardly. I whirl around.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Healer Medicus greets us, his tone slightly awkward. I feel a blush heat my cheeks and I know Harry must be blushing as well.

"H-H-Hello," I stammer, moving away from Harry quickly. "I-It's nice to see you again. How've you been?" Thankfully, the Healer smiles gently and doesn't make any mention of what he just walked in on.

"I've been wonderful, thank you," he replies. I note that he's got quite a few more gray hairs than he had the last time I see him. But the last time I saw him was about a year ago, and Merlin knows a lot can happen in a year. I should know.

"So what brings you here today?" he asks as I settle back onto the exam table. I glance nervously at Harry, who comes up behind me for support.

"Well," I start slowly, wondering how to put this.

"Just come right out with it, love," Harry whispers. I square my shoulders and sit up straight.

"I think I'm six weeks pregnant," I reply. Healer Medicus's eyebrows shoot straight up.

"Are you sure?" he inquired. "I mean no disrespect, Ginny, but such a thing should be quite impossible..."

"I'm sure," I insist. "I've taken both Muggle and Wizarding pregnancy tests, and they both came out positive. Besides, I did get pregnant...a few years ago," I mutter, looking at my hands. Harry rubs my back gently.

"Well, then, may I first offer you my congratulations," the Healer says, looking slightly thunderstruck. I feel the urge to laugh. Here's this man, completely educated in all things medical, and he tells me I can never be pregnant again. And here I am, nine years later, pregnant. Miracles do happen.

"Thank you," Harry replies when I don't say anything. "We're extremely happy."

"I'd like you to have an ultrasound, Mrs. Potter, if you don't mind," Healer Medicus says, turning back to me. "Just to check up on the baby and look for possible issues." I nod. "I'll send someone in to do it. I'm not the maternity specialist here, so I'll let someone more skilled at that take over for you. I wish you the best of luck," he says, then shakes our hands and leaves. I relax back against Harry's chest, and he presses his face to my hair.

"He seemed a little surprised, given what happened three years ago," Harry murmurs. I agree.

"I sort of liked stumping him," I admit with a giggle. "Shows these medical people they're not always right." Harry laughs, too, and I hear a knock on the door. A cheery female Healer enters.

"Hello! I'm Healer Campbell, and I will be with you both for the duration of your pregnancy," she announces, shaking our hands again. I smile at her. She seems quite nice.

"Now, Mrs. Potter, I was told you needed an ultrasound?" she queries, turning to me. I nodded. "Alright. Can you tell me how far along you are?" she asks.

"About six weeks, at my estimate," I tell her. She frowns.

"We don't usually do ultrasounds this early," she says uncertainly. I take a deep breath.

"I'm aware of that, but my uterus has a large amount of scarring on it, and Healer Medicus just wants to make sure that nothing is wrong with the baby, and that no possible issues could occur." She nods in understanding.

"Alright, then. Lay down, dear, and everything will be fine." I obey, and she pulls my shirt up to reveal my slightly bulging stomach. She spreads a warm green gel on it, then leaves and returns with the same sort of machine Healer Medicus used nine years ago to show my mutilated uterus.

"Ready, love?" Harry asks softly. I nod, then grip his hand tightly. Now that I look at him, he's a bit pale, too. Healer Campbell places a tube-like thing on my stomach and starts to move it around. After a moment or two, a screen appears on the opposite wall. Harry gasps, but I hold perfectly still. Having gone through this once before, I am able to spot the baby before Healer Campbell points it out.

"Oh," I sigh, staring at the peanut-like thing on the screen. There's only one, which reassures me: I don't think I could handle another set of twins.

"Do you see it, Mrs. Potter?" the Healer asks, and I nod, tears in my eyes.

"Um...I don't," Harry confesses, and Healer Campbell smiles.

"That's quite alright. He or she is right here," she tells him, tracing her finger along the outside of the baby. He squints, then his eyes widen.

"I see him," he gasps. I squeeze his hand, and when he looks at me, there's tears in his eyes. I smile back, feeling a wetness in my own eyes. The Healer smiles at us, then moves the tube around my stomach. She doesn't speak, just assesses the baby, my uterus, and the position our child is in. When she finally does speak, she startles me.

"Everything appears to be perfectly normal for six weeks," she begins cautiously, and I heave a huge sigh of relief, feeling as though I've had a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. The baby is fine. Thank Merlin.

"This is a good sign," the Healer continues. "However, as the baby moves around during your pregnancy, he or she may hit the side of your uterus from time to time, which is perfectly normal and prone to happen during pregnancy. Normally, this would not be a concern, but given the state of your uterus, it could be a problem. There is an easy remedy," she adds hastily, seeing the looks on our faces. "You just have to watch for any sign of blood in your underwear. If you see any, all you have to do is take a special type of Healing Potion. A normal Healing Potion is harmful to the fetus, but St. Mungo's has a special kind that is safe for pregnant women to take. I'll make sure you have a supply before you go.

"Now, as for what will happen during the course of the nine months, I can't see anything so far that would indicate you would have any type of problem. However," she continues, holding up a warning finger as a smile spreads across my face, "I regret to tell you that you will be required to go on severe bed rest at the beginning of your third month. Nothing bad, just three months is when the baby starts to become slightly more active now, and you will need to stay off your feet to ensure that everything is safe for your baby as he or she grows.

"Naturally, you will need to come in for every regular appointment as you would even if you were off of bed rest. As far as the restrictions on bed rest go, you may get up only to use the toilet, or for a meal, and you need to stay in a reclining position most of the day. You can be on the couch or your bed, whichever you prefer.

"As for your potions, you will have to stop taking a few of them, such as the Contraceptive Potion and, naturally, the Healing Potion. Have you taken any of them during the time you suspect yourself to be pregnant?" she inquires.

"No, I haven't taken any. I'm due to take them all today," I reply. She nods.

"Excellent. You can take all except the Healing Potion, as I said. Continue with the rest as normal. Any questions?" I look up at Harry. He looks a little dazed, and I feel the same way. I do have a very important question, however.

"Will I be able to carry the baby to full term, or do you think he'll come early?" I ask. She furrows her brow.

"That I cannot predict. Every baby is different, you see. If you do carry him or her to full term, it will be about," she pauses to count on her fingers, then hurries to a calendar. "July 14th." I let out a breath. July 14th. That's my due date. The thought of giving birth again after ten years is a rather scary one, which leads me to another question.

"Will my body be able to handle giving birth again after so many years?" I ask, gripping Harry's hand tightly. Healer Campbell smiles.

"No, I think everything will be fine. If you've done it once, I'm sure you can do it again, and should you choose to give birth here, you and the baby both have a 99.8% chance of survival any time after 36 weeks." Harry suddenly clenches my hand tighter. I hadn't thought that I could stand a chance of having severe medical issues carrying and giving birth to this child. My only thought was of the baby.

"And if she has it early?" Harry asks, his voice a whisper.

"So long as she makes it to 36 weeks, there should be no problem," Healer Campbell says slowly. "But if she gives birth any time before 30...she _should _be fine, but the baby would be a different matter altogether." I focus on trying to inhale and exhale. I'm really having issues with that right now. Healer Campbell notices, and hurries on.

"But the chances of that happening to you are very, very low. There really is no cause to be worried. Your bed rest will end when you go into labor or on July 14th. Please don't be worried, Mrs. Potter, the whole point of the bed rest is to ensure a safe pregnancy." I nod, feeling slightly reassured but still quite nervous. The Healer moves around the scope on the end of my stomach a bit more, pointing out tiny things that look to be fingers or toes. Then she turns off the machine and cleans my stomach.

"I'll be right back with the supply of Healing Potion, and I think some Stress-Relieving Potion as well, just in case." I nod wordlessly. She smiles. "I'm very sorry. I must have scared you, but please remember that a preterm birth is extremely unlikely to happen. I had to warn you that there was a possibility. But given the look of things today, everything should be smooth sailing from here on out." I can't speak, so I just nod.

Thankfully, it doesn't take forever and a day, and Harry and I are Flooing home within five minutes. The second I get home and flop down on the couch, I let out a gasp and clutch my stomach. Harry's at my side in an instant.

"What is it, Gin, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing, I just...I'm worried, Harry," I confess. I see surprise cross his face for a moment. I rarely say his name. I always call him love, or sweetie, or honey(all of which annoy Lily and Connor to no end). But with all the stress, it just slipped out.

"Gin...don't worry. The Healers and I are going to do our best to keep you and our little guy safe," he reassures me, sitting down and pulling me close. "Please don't worry, alright? It'll only add stress to you, and that is the last thing you need. Really." I nod, inhaling his scent as I try to relax. I can't help but worry, though. What mother wouldn't?

"Now we face the next great obstacle," I mutter when I finally feel a little better.

"What's that?" Harry inquires, pulling back ever so slightly to look me in the eyes. I laugh.

"Telling my family." He groans and pulls me back in to his chest.

"I don't even want to think about that," he mutters in reply. I laugh. To be honest, I don't want to think about it either.

**Bet you all can guess what the next chapter will be about...haha. Oh, and they'll tell Lily and Connor then, too. Stay tuned! Please leave a review! Let me know if anyone got confused with all my medical explanations. I did my best. Please don't leave a nasty flame saying I got it wrong! My only sources were my mother and Google, and my mother wouldn't tell me much about it. I'm way too young to have gone through this myself. But please leave a nice review! Oh, has anyone gotten into Pottermore yet? I'm a Gryffindor!**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	6. Secret's Out!

**Hello, everybody! I'm sorry it's been awhile, this chapter took me a lot longer than I thought it would! I'd like to announce, just really quickly, that I've finally published my other story 'Seven Songs To Change His Mind'. I hope you all go check it out; I'm really excited about it! What's it about? I suggest you go look to find out...haha. Anyways, thank you once more to my amazingly wonderful reviewers! I love you all so much! You're just so amazing, thank you for your great comments. Enjoy this chapter!**

Disclaimer: I seriously don't own anything, alright? My second story and I still have to say this? Sheesh.

Chapter 5: Secret's Out!

Somehow, Harry and I manage to find a way out of the family dinners for the next two weeks, making me about eight weeks pregnant. Neither of us wanted to tell Lily and Connor until then, but after the eight-week appointment, we both decided we needed to.

"All Potter children, please report to the living room," Harry called as we arrived home from St. Mungo's. We'd driven up to London this time, as Flooing made me rather sick.

"Dad! Mum!" Connor called, and the two of them ran down the stairs to hug us.

"Hey, guys," I replied, laughing and hugging both my children. Harry did the same.

"What did you want, Dad?" Lily asked once she'd hugged both Harry and I.

"Come on into the living room," he invited, leading the way. I followed in the rear, watching nervously as Connor and Lily settled down on the couch.

"Your Mum and I have something to tell you guys, alright?" Harry began, but Connor interrupted.

"It wasn't me, I swear!" he gasped. Lily laughed.

"You aren't in trouble," I reassured him.

"But what, exactly, was it you didn't do?" Harry inquired, frowning. At that exact moment, our fellytone rang.

"I'll get it," I said. I went into the kitchen and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ginny? Is that you?" Mum's voice came through the other end. She and Dad had finally mastered the use of a fellytone-wait, no, _telephone._

"Yes. Mum, what's wrong? What did George do?" I could hear explosions going off in the background.

"It wasn't George, it was your son!" she shrieked. I froze.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I suppose it was George, too, but anyways, Connor got hold of a bunch of Weasley fireworks and he hid them in the oven! When I went to turn it on, they all exploded!" I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open by now.

"Are you serious?"

"YES, GINEVRA, I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN!" she hollered as another round of explosions went off.

"I'll take care of it, Mum, you just clean the kitchen. Bye," I said, slamming the phone down before she could argue any more. Then I took a moment to inhale and exhale deeply before returning to the living room.

"Connor James," I say before anyone can say anything. His face pales.

"Yes, Mum?" I bite my cheek, hard, to keep from laughing.

"Would you like to explain to me why your grandmother was calling us?" I inquire. I see panic cross his eyes before he shrugs.

"Tell we actually don't have to go dinner?" he asks. I glare at him, and he shrinks into the cushions.

"Good guess, but no."

Harry and Lily both look completely nonplussed. I decide to give him a clue.

"But it did have something to do with her stove..." I say, letting my sentence trail off. I see recognition in Lily's eyes.

"You didn't!" she shrieks at Connor. He smiles.

"I did."

"Connor! How is Grandma Molly supposed to cook dinner now?"

"She's a witch," he retorts. "She'll be fine."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asks, sounding a tiny bit annoyed.

"Connor?" I ask, making it perfectly clear he's got to tell his father.

"Well...I sort of put some of Uncle George's fireworks in Grandma's oven so they'd go off when she turned it on," Connor admits in a rush. Harry stares at him in shock. Lily and I are silent, staring at Harry. Connor stares at his knees.

And then Harry bursts out laughing. He laughs so hard he has to bend over and put his hands on his knees. My mouth falls open in shock, but Connor looks hopeful.

"Harry James Potter!" I gasp. "We should not be condoning this behavior!"

"I...I know, Gin, but can you see the expression on your mum's face when her oven just.." he spreads his hands in the air like an explosion. And that does it. I burst out laughing, too. Honestly, I've been trying to hold it in since Mum told me, and Harry's comment just set me over the edge.

"Mum!" Lily gasps, but she's giggling, too. For a few moments, the entire family is in hysterics, laughing so hard we're bending over. When I go to stand up again, however, something in my stomach jerks and I run to the sink, barely making it in time. I hear Harry, Connor, and Lily all follow me.

"Guys, stay right there!" Harry orders, then pulls my hair back, whispering soothing words in my ear. "It's alright, love, shh." I finish vomiting and wash out my mouth before turning around and hugging Harry. His arms come up around me, holding me tight.

"Ew," Connor mutters, and I remember our other children.

"Oh, shush, Connor," Lily sighs impatiently. "Are you alright, Mummy?" She looks so worried it tears at my heart.

"I am, sweetie, I promise. Come here," I say, holding out my arms. She runs over and hugs me gently.

"Why'd you do that, Mum?" Connor asks, coming over and hugging me, too. I guess I must have really worried him. I glance at Harry once, then kneel in front of our twins.

"Mummy has something to tell you," I start. "How would you feel if you could have a baby brother or sister?" I ask.

"Are we adopting Teddy?" Connor asks excitedly. I snort, and Lily rolls her eyes.

"No...he's not a baby," I remind him.

"Dang," Connor mutters. "So how are we getting a new sibling?" I've yet to have 'the talk' with my twins. I mean, they're only ten after all, and they can't understand why the lady down the street doesn't like them. I know it'll be worse when they go to Hogwarts, but how do you explain the concept of illegitmate children and people who don't like them to two innocent ten year olds?

"Ginny," Harry calls softly, and I jerk myself back to the present.

"Sorry. Anyways, guys, you're going to get a new sibling from Mummy. I'm pregnant," I tell them. Connor's jaw drops, but Lily squeals in excitement. They've heard that announcement so many times from various Weasley family members that they know exactly what that means.

"Yay!" Lily exclaims, hugging me tightly. "A new baby! But it's ours! I'm so happy!" she gushes. Harry smiles and we both hug our daughter.

"Are you gonna get all moody like Aunt Hermione did?" Connor asks cautiously. Lily stops dead and stares at me. The twins witnessed one of Hermione's...finer moments while pregnant, and it...scared them, to say the least.

"Not that bad," I reassure him, though I know it's a strong possibility. "You see, this baby is very special. Mummy has to do some extra things to take care of it. In four weeks, I have to go on bed rest, which means I have to lay down all day and only get up to go to the bathroom or eat. And I'm going to need you to help me. You can't fight or argue, you can't explode the house," I threaten, looking at Connor, who grins. "You might have to bring me a few things because I won't be able to get up. And most importantly, if I ask you to do something, you have to do it, alright?" They both nod, looking very serious.

"And in July," Harry adds, bending down next to me to look Connor and Lily in the eye, "you'll have a new baby brother or baby sister, just like Rose did when Hunter was born." Lily looks excited, and Connor looks at me.

"Where's the baby?" he asks, squinting at my stomach. I laugh.

"I'm not really pregnant yet," I remind him, then stand up. "Give me your hand." He complies, and I place it gently on my slightly swollen stomach. It looks bigger than it actually is because I'm so thin.

"That's where the baby is?" he asks, mouth wide. I nod. Lily reaches forward and cautiously touches my stomach, too. I feel a sudden warmth flood through me as my two beautiful children touch my stomach, where my new baby grows, safe and sound, in my womb.

"That went well," Harry mutters in my ear. I lean against him.

"Yeah, it did."

"Now we've just got to tell the family. How, exactly, are we going to do that?" I just laugh.

"No clue."

As it turns out, we don't even have to worry about how to make the announcement. Our daughter does it for us. As soon as we've Flooed into the Burrow's kitchen, Victoire comes running over to meet Lily.

"Vic!" Lily exclaims, hugging her tightly. "Guess what, guess what!" I've just stepped out of the fireplace when she says that, and she's already halfway across the room. Harry's eyes widen, and he steps forward to stop her, but she's already said it.

"Mummy's pregnant!"

The entire(and I do mean entire) house goes so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone swivels around to look at me. I feel my face start to burn as I look down. I know exactly why they're staring, and exactly what they're thinking. I shouldn't be able to be pregnant. But I am.

The silence is broken by Connor, who's been looking out the window.

"Lupin!" he roars, and I'm reminded, not of Teddy, but of Remus Lupin, and I feel tears form in my eyes. Harry's face is suddenly blank and expressionless. I've lost count of how many times we've told Connor to call him 'Teddy' but it just doesn't work. He and Teddy always call each other by their surnames for some reason. I reach out to grasp Harry's hand cautiously, and he smiles down at me. Victoire, Lily, and Connor rush out of the room to greet Teddy, leaving us alone with the rest of the adults and children.

"Is it true?" Mum asks, inching forward slowly, her eyes sparkling. I nod. "Oh, Ginny, darling, that's wonderful!" She runs forward and hugs me. I gasp for air and she lets go. "Sorry, sorry, you're fragile now, I have to remember that. Oh, Ginny, I'm just so happy for you!" she gushes, and then the rest of my brothers have come over, and they all hug me, too.

"Nice, sis," Ron comments. Hermione smacks him on the arm.

"Grow up, would you? Congratulations, Ginny, that's wonderful!" she exclaims, but she shoots me a look that tells me quite clearly I am talking to her and explaining everything later. I resign myself to that fact; I'll probably have to talk to the rest of my family, too. Really, there isn't much to say, so I decide to say it now.

"Yeah. It was a shock, but, honestly, I've never been happier," I admit to her. She raises her eyebrows, and I know she's thinking of events that happened three years prior. I meet her gaze.

"I know what you're thinking, Hermione, and I've already been to St. Mungo's. They told me I should have a safe pregnancy, but I have to go on bed rest at the beginning of the third month, and stay there until the baby's born."

"Oh, Ginny, zat ees awful!" Fleur exclaimed. "I 'ad to go on bed rest with Louis. Eet was awful!"

"Thanks, Fleur," I mutter. She smiles, her silvery hair glowing. Geez, 30 years old and still prettier than I am.

"I would be glad to 'elp wiz Lily and Connor eef you need it," she offers in a gentle tone.

"Oh, Fleur, that would be wonderful, thank you!" I gasp, hugging her.

"Eet is no problem, truly. Zey are wonderful children." I smile hugely at her, and then we all sit down to a wonderful family dinner, happy and content-at least for now.

**K, I'm not entirely satisfied with the ending, but it'll do. I'll have the next chapter up soon, and we're going to skip ahead a few months to when she's on bed rest. Just to see how she deals with it. Yeah. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Pretty please go read my other story! Also, what would you guys think if I were to publish a Rose/Scorpius romance? Just a thought I've been tossing around. Please review!**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	7. Fights and Flutters

**Hello, everybody. I apologize for not updating sooner, but life has been...well, like hell this week, chaotic and crazy and with WAY TOO MUCH HOMEWORK! And then came down with a fever and aches all over my body. Ugh. So, yeah, life hasn't been kind to me this week, but here I am with another chapter for you all. Although, I'd like to make a quick comment: WHERE ARE MY REVIEWERS? My awesomely amazingly wonderful people who tell me they actually like to read my stuff? They're gone! I got, like, no reviews for this. Are you lot still reading? I don't want to write this if no one's gonna read it...so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!**

Disclaimer: Seriously, who do you think Harry Potter belongs to? (Hint: NOT ME!)

Chapter 6: Fights and Flutters

"Hey, Connor, Lily!" I call. They come running in about a minute or so later.

"What's up, Mum?" Connor asks, looking a little annoyed.

"Are you alright?" Lily inquires. I sigh.

"No, I am not _fine, _I am extremely bored!" I snap back, and then regret it. Connor rolls his eyes and Lily grits her teeth.

I've been on bed rest for about a month down, and damn, it sucks. I can't do _anything. _I mean, yeah, Harry bought me pretty much the entire book shop, but eventually, you do get tired of reading. I want to get up and go for a walk, or cook again, sweep, clean the house. Mum's been coming over to do that, and honestly, it makes me jealous. And I feel like a failure. I'm the housewife here, and I can't even get up and clean and cook.

"Do you want something, Mum?" Lily asks in her sweet little voice. I force myself to be nice. She hasn't done anything. It's Harry who knocked me up, after all...

"Yes, Lily dear. Can you please get me a banana or twenty?" I ask. She nods and hurries off down the stairs. Connor lingers in the doorway.

"I can't see the baby yet, Mum," he finally says, squinting at my belly. I rub it gently. I can see the bump. I'm nearly four months pregnant, after all, and I'm so thin that it's quite easy to see the baby bump, in my opinion. Harry agrees with me.

"You should be able to, Connor. I'm nearly four months along," I complain. He shakes his head.

"You can see it, Connor, I know you can. Stop being a smart-alec," I sigh. He just turns to saunter out of the room.

"Whatever, Mum." And my temper snaps.

"CONNOR JAMES POTTER, YOU GET YOUR ARSE BACK IN THIS ROOM THIS INSTANT!" I shriek. He returns to the room glaring at me.

"What, Mum? I'm sick of you snapping at me," he mutters, frowning.

"YOU ARE NOT THE ONE ON BED REST, MISTER! TRY LAYING AROUND ON A BED ALL DAY WITH NOTHING TO DO AND WE'LL SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT, EH?" Connor's backing up now, looking slightly scared, but I'm not finished yet.

"Mum, calm-"

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" I screamed. "I AM SICK OF THIS, CONNOR, AND YOU BEING SASSY DOES NOT HELP THAT!" Lily came running up the stairs, a few bananas in her hand.

"Connor, WHAT DID YOU DO?" she asks, whirling on him. He holds up his hands in surrender.

"It wasn't me! She just flew off the handle for no good reason! It's not my fault!"

"YES IT IS, YOU SASSED ME!" I shot back. Lily glared at her brother.

"Dad specifically told you not to agitate her! Which means not sassing her! Don't you want our little sibling to be safe?" Lily demands.

"Of course I do, geez, Lils! I didn't mean to agitate her, I'm just sick of her having such a temper-"

"WELL YOU BETTER GET USED TO IT, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING A LOT BETWEEN NOW AND JULY!"

Connor rolled his eyes and put his head in his hands. And that did it for both Lily and I.

I actually don't know what it was either of us were screaming, only that we both were screaming at him. Connor jumped, then tried to fend us off, backing away slowly, but the both of us kept at it. I struggled to get off the bed to yell at him, but Lily whipped around and yelled at me to get back on the bed, and I yelled at her that I could do whatever the hell I wanted, thank you very much. She yelled at Connor to help her and they both tried to keep me on the bed. But damn it, I was done. I wanted to get up and move around again, I wanted my mobility and freedom and the chance to keep house and care for my children, who both looked white and scared right now. Finally, I just couldn't take it anymore, and I curled up into a ball and started to cry.

"Mum, Mum, don't-" I cut Lily off.

"Just go away, both of you, NOW!" They hurried off, Connor wiping his eyes furiously. And I heard Lily burst into tears as well. Great. Now I've made both my children cry. As I lay on the bed, wiping my eyes, I realize what an idiot I was, and that only makes me cry harder. I can hear Lily in her room and Connor banging around in his, but I can't even get up and go to them, and that makes me sob now.

So all in all, by the time Harry comes home for lunch, things really aren't going very well. It's only about fifteen minutes later that he arrives, luckily.

"Hello?" he calls, and my two children both go running down the stairs. I want to scream and yell, but all I do is cry. I can't even get up to go greet my husband. And that's when I know that I can't take this shit anymore.

"Dad!" Lily sobs, and I picture her running to grab his shirt.

"Lils! What-Lily, what's wrong? Is your mother OK? Ginny!" I hear a thud and I know he must have discarded his bag to run up the stairs.

"GINNY!" I don't answer. I'm too upset. I don't know if my vocal cords even work right now. Harry arrives in the doorway, glasses crooked, panting.

"Ginny, why didn't you-Gin! What's the matter? Are you hurt? What's wrong? Talk to me, love, come on!" he begs, sitting down next to me on the bed. I simply bury my face in his shirt and cry even harder.

"Lily, Connor!" he calls, and I hear the two of them arrive, sniffling, in the door a moment later. "What happened to her?" Harry demands.

"She got-got upset with us," Connor chokes out, "and then she just started crying...I don't know, Dad!" I lift my head to look at his face, which is confused, frightened, and a little hurt.

"So it's nothing to do with the baby?" Harry asks. Connor shakes his head.

"She didn't say anything about her tummy. She kept trying to get up, but Lily and I wouldn't let her." Harry's face relaxes and he holds me tighter.

"Oh, thank god," he mutters, kissing my hair. "Alright, guys, go sit in your rooms for a few minutes, OK? Daddy needs to talk to Mummy. You're not in trouble, I promise."

Warily, both twins leave and shut their doors. I hear Lily start crying again as I wipe the tears from my own cheeks.

"Harry, I'm sorry," I blurt out. "I just can't take this anymore! I need to be able to get up and move! I've always been an active person, and I can't just suddenly go to doing nothing! I can't even get up to cook and clean any more! I've lost all my freedom, and this just isn't working!" I sob. "And I've still got five months of this to go!"

"Ginny, you know why you have to do this. I'm sorry, love, I really am, but don't you think it'll be worth it to see our own little baby again?" he inquires, placing his hand gently on my bulging abdomen. I sigh and lean into his chest.

"I guess. That still doesn't make me any happier," I reply. He chuckles slightly.

"Can't imagine it would, dear. Now, what happened with our children?" I stiffen.

"Well...I wanted bananas and Connor was rolling his eyes at me because I was being so moody. He doesn't understand these pregnancy hormone things, he's too young, and I really shouldn't have yelled at him, but I did, and now I feel so bad! And I was trying to get up and they wouldn't let me and I...I just needed to get up on my feet again," I sigh.

"Oh, Ginny," Harry laughs, holding me close to him. "I shudder to think what you were like with the twins."

"I really wasn't that bad," I admit. "But then again, I didn't have to be on bed rest, either. I had my freedom."

"How about we calm down our twins, and then we can have Hermione come over for awhile to sit with you? Would that be better?" I nod, and he stands, offering his hand to me.

"Harry, what-"

"I'm sure the doctors won't mind if you walk around a bit," he tells me. Well, I'm not complaining. I take his hand and get shakily to my feet, then walk with him to Lily's bedroom. We knock and enter, then he deposits me on the bed.

"I'll be right back," he promises, and seconds later he's back with Connor. Harry closes the door behind the two of them.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Lily asks worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong, sweetie. Your Mum was just upset because she can't get up and move around. She's not mad at you, either of you, promise. Sometimes women get really angry when they're pregnant, and your Mummy is no exception. You didn't do anything wrong or be bad, but Connor," he pauses and turns to our son, "you don't need to be sassing off to your mother, OK? Especially because of her condition." I wince at the sound of that.

"You make it sound like I'm terminally ill, Harry," I grumble, slightly annoyed. He flashes me one of his beautiful smiles and entirely different thoughts fill my head. Mmmm...

"The point is, you are not in trouble, you just have to be extra nice to your Mum right now, OK?" Both twins nod. "Now go give her a hug," Harry finishes, pushing the both of them towards me and sitting back to watch. Merlin, he's an amazing father.

"I'm sorry, Mummy," Lily whispers, hugging me ferociously.

"It's alright, baby girl," I whisper back, and just as the words leave my mouth, a small fluttering occurs in my abdomen. I gasp and pull back from Lily to lay a hand on my stomach. It's been so long since I felt that. My eyes fill with tears.

"Harry," I call, and he's at my side in an instant.

"What's wrong, love?" he asks urgently. I wipe my tears away and shake my head.

"Nothing, it's just...I felt the baby move," I whisper.

"Really?" Harry gasps, laying his hand on my stomach. He's never had the opportunity to feel that before, and I hope our child will move for him. It does.

"There, Harry, did you feel that?" I ask, rubbing the side of my stomach. He nods, his emerald eyes blurry with tears.

"Oh, Ginny," he murmurs, and sweeps me into a kiss. I kiss him back, half-crying myself.

"MUM! DAD! That's gross!" Connor interjects, glaring at us as we break apart. Harry chuckles and I beckon him closer and give him a hug.

"Come here, Lily. Let's see if baby Potter will kick for his siblings." I place both of their hands on my stomach and wait.

"His?" Harry asks, eyebrows raised.

"It feels right," I reply, shrugging. He just shakes his head, laughing slightly.

"I don't feel anything," Lily says worriedly.

"Don't worry," I reply. "He or she might not be moving too much right now. It's only the first time he moved, so he might not do much more, alright?" She nods, then frowns, pressing her little hand harder to my stomach.

"Come here, baby," she coos. "Big sister Lily wants to feel you." And sure enough, I feel the baby flutter and kick again. She gasps in delight.

"I want to feel!" Connor objects, but nothing happens. He starts to cry.

"He doesn't like me!" he wails.

"No, Connor, no, no, no, that's not true," I reply, pulling him onto my lap. For once, he doesn't squirm away. "Your little baby brother or sister likes you just fine, OK? He's just tired of moving right now, alright? Promise. When he's born, I'm sure he'll love having two beautiful siblings," I reassure him, stretching out my hand to Lily with a smile.

"Don't worry, kids," Harry adds. "He's just tired. He's so small it takes him awhile to build up the energy to move again."

"And when he does, I'll make sure you feel it," I tell Connor, poking him gently on the nose. He giggles.

"Why don't we head down for lunch?" I suggest. "I'm _starving!"_ Everyone laughs, and the twins promptly race each other down the stairs as Harry helps me carefully to my feet.

"Him?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, shut up," he replies. I roll my eyes and pull him into a kiss.

**So I hope you all liked it. Please remember that although Ginny loves her children and her baby very, very much, she has her bad, hormonal days like the rest of us. She's only human, after all. Anyways, REVIEW!**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	8. My Everything

**Hello! I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry for the ridiculously long time it has taken me to update! Sparknotes version: Got sick, had homework overload, had sports at every possible free hour, and had to practice for a choir concert on the 15th. So, yeah, life pretty much hates me right now, but I promise to keep making my best efforts to update for my lovely reviewers (who showed up again last chapter-thank you all so much!) OK, I'll stop blabbering and let you read the story now.**

Disclaimer: Ha, yes, I finally own Harry Potter. NOT! Ha, did you people siriusly believe me? Come on, you know me better than that! NOT J.K. ROWLING!

Chapter 7: My Everything

"Hermione!" I called, laying down my novel as a sudden craving hit me. My bushy-haired friend walked in not five seconds later.

"What's the matter, Ginny?" she inquired, setting three-year-old Rose down and turning her attention to me.

"Nothing, I just...can you get me some cheese?" I asked, somewhat sheepishly. Though she, Harry, Luna, and Mum had told me countless times not to be embarrassed by my cravings, I still felt a little strange asking for completely random foods at any hour of the day and night. But Hermione just smiled at me.

"Cheddar or Parmesan?" she asked, already halfway out the door.

"Cheddar," I called to her, thanking my lucky stars she never questioned me. But as a woman, she'd gone through the same things I have, which was nice. At least _she _never questioned my want of sardines...

"Momma?" I heard Connor call.

"Yes, baby? In here," I answered, and he slouched in a moment later.

"I'm not the baby," he protested, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at my rather round stomach.

"You're right, you're not. How could I have been so silly?" I teased, clapping a hand to my forehead. My son giggled.

"Is he kicking?" Connor asked when he got his laughter under control. I placed my hand on my belly.

"Not right now, Connor, sorry," I replied, rubbing my big bulge gently. Connor pouted.

"He never kicks anymore," he complained, sauntering out of the room. I watched him go, considering his words. He'd only been complaining, but...when _was _the last time my baby kicked? It certainly hadn't been this week...and that's when I began to worry.

"HERMIONE!" I yelled, feeling panic seize my body. My baby. My baby. Please, no, please let him be OK...

"What? Ginny, what's wrong?" Hermione asked urgently when she appeared in my bedroom, a few slices of cheese in her hands. I burst into tears at the sight of them. Oh, Merlin, what is wrong with me?

"Hermione...I don't remember the last time I felt the baby move," I confessed, trying (and failing) to breathe normally. For a split second, she stared at me, not moving, as the two of us realized the horrible truth hidden underneath that statement.

"You...don't?" she finally whispers. I shake my head silently, tears pouring down my face.

"I don't. Hermione, you don't think..."

"I...Ginny, I don't know," she replied in such a worried tone that I nearly lost it right then and there. "But what I do know is that we need to get you to St. Mungo's _now. _So...you just pack what you can, and I'll get Lily, Connor, Rose, and Hunter over to Fleur's...she's home today, thank Merlin." Hermione darted out of the room and I allowed myself two minutes to wipe my eyes and take a few deep breaths. Panicking now won't help the baby.

"Mum?" Lily called, coming into the room, Connor on her heels.

"W-what is it, Lils?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice in check.

"Aunt Hermione said we had to come give you a kiss cause we gotta go to Aunt Fleur's," Connor reported, crossing his arms. I can't help but smile. My son, the rebel.

"Then come on over," I replied, holding my arms wide. Lily hugs me tight, then kisses my stomach gently.

"Bye, Mommy. Bye baby." She patted my stomach once more, then shoved her brother over to me. "Be nice to her, Connor, she looks upset." And Connor hugs me without complaint, then pokes my stomach gently.

"Bye, Mum, bye baby." And then the two of them are gone, with nothing to distract me from my worry and my fresh tears.

Five minutes later, Hermione's back and helping me gently to the fireplace.

"Don't worry, Ginny, I'm sure everything is fine. Maybe it'll kick before we get to St. Mungo's and we'll be fine," Hermione reassured, but I wasn't convinced.

"But Hermione, it's been so long since I felt him move," I moaned. "What if there is something wrong? How can I live through that? I can't lose a baby again!" I'm half sobbing now.

"Breathe, Ginny. It won't help your baby if you panic." I try to take deep breaths, and I guess it sort of works. I stop hyperventilating, at least. Hermione helps me into the Floo and seconds later we've arrived-into a very busy waiting room.

"Oh my God," I gasp. "What the hell?"

"I don't know," Hermione replies. "But it could be quite the wait."

"Hermione, this needs looked at now!" I hiss, terrified of what could happen while I'm stuck waiting.

"I'll tell them of your situation and then go find Harry. Just relax, Ginny. There was a point while I was pregnant with Hunter that he didn't move for a few days. Scared Ron and I half to death," she sighed, shaking her head. I settle into a seat that a very kind old man gave up for me and watch anxiously as Hermione slowly makes her way to the front of the desk. She leans over it and speaks to the woman, who immediately looks around for me. I look away. I'm so used to people staring nowadays. I'm Harry Potter's wife and the mother of his two (hopefully still three) children. Two of them illegitimate. So, yeah, people stare.

"She says it'll be almost 24 hours, Ginny," Hermione says suddenly, and I jump. I hadn't even noticed her standing next to me.

"WHAT?" I yell. "But that's too long!" I make an effort to lower my voice as people start to stare. "I'm not losing this baby, Hermione," I tell her in a fierce whisper. Hermione closes her eyes, and I know she's thinking hard.

"Wait here. I'm getting Harry and then I know of a Muggle place not too far from here that could see you," she mutters, then disappears into the Floo without another word. I want to get up and pace, but I have a feeling that's a bad idea. I don't want to do any further possible damage to my baby.

The ten minutes that pass feel like hours, but finally Harry's stumbling out of the Floo, clutching Hermione's arm. I reach out to him, and he runs to me.

"Gin, why didn't you tell me you hadn't felt the baby move in awhile?" he asks, hugging me as best he can.

"I didn't realize he hadn't moved for awhile," I replied tearfully. "I just hope he's alright."

"He'll be fine, Ginny, he has to be," Harry whispers back. "Come on, let's get to this Muggle place Hermione mentioned. I'm not waiting 24 hours here." And he helps me to my feet as we set off.

It's a long walk. I haven't been on my feet for an extended period of time for nearly three months, and then there's the fact that I'm six months pregnant and my feet are like swollen balloons. I'm ashamed to admit that I pretty much complained the entire walk. To their credit, neither Harry nor Hermione ever snapped back at me. Hermione, because she knows how much this hurts, and Harry because he values his own life far too much to ever make such a statement.

When we do finally arrive, Hermione darts in ahead of us and starts to talk to the lady behind the counter. Thankfully, the place is empty and it's only five minutes before we're taken to a room. Hermione agrees to wait behind in the lobby, as there's not much space in the room.

"Alright. Everything's going to be fine, Ginny. We're here, they're about to look at him, it'll be OK. And if there's anything that needs to be done and they can't do it, then Hermione and I will use any spell we can to save him. If that means doing it in front of Muggles, well, there's a Memory Charm for that."

"Harry, I highly doubt that will be necessary," I argue as there's a knock on the door. A female doctor enters, a big smile on her face.

"Mr and Mrs. Potter?" she inquires, and we nod. "Welcome. I'm Stephanie, and I'm going to be giving you a quick ultrasound to check that your baby's doing alright and there's nothing wrong. I was told you have severe uterine scarring?" she asks me, wheeling a strange machine in.

"I do," I reply.

"And that you have been on complete bed rest for nearly three months?" I nod again. "Alright. Just getting all the facts straight. Is this your first pregnancy?" I shake my head.

"It's my second, but I had twins the first time."

"Oh, congratulations! And how long ago was that?" she inquires as she spreads cold green gel on my stomach.

"About ten years," I admit, not meeting anyone's eyes. Harry squeezes my hand.

"OK then. Let's see where this little guy is," she announces. I'm immediately thankful to her for asking no questions about the long time in between my pregnancies. The end of a long tube touches my stomach, and I jump about a foot in the air.

"Shh, Ginny," Harry whispers.

"It's alright, Mrs. Potter. This won't hurt you," the nurse assures me, then touches the tube to my stomach again. It takes a second, but finally a small, blurry blob comes into focus on the screen. I gasp in surprise; he's a lot bigger than he used to be. But it's been awhile since I had my last ultrasound, so that would explain why.

"Is he OK?" I demand, and just as I do, he moves around on screen-and we catch a glimpse of a different part of the body.

"I believe she is just fine," the nurse replies as a strong beating fills the room. The sound of my daughter's heartbeat. She's OK. I suddenly feel light-headed with relief.

"She?" Harry whispers. I turn my head to look at him. He's got tears in his eyes.

"She," the nurse confirms. I take hold of Harry's hand and he smiles at me, a smile brighter than the sun. I smile back, tears pricking at my own eyes now. After everything I've been through and how hard we worked to get here, I feel a strange revelry in this moment of happiness. Just for one moment, the world is back in balance and everything is as it should be. Until the nurse opens her mouth.

"However, she seems to be in a rather strange position, and if she does not adjust before birth, it could mean a bit of trouble," the nurse adds, frowning at the screen.

"What exactly-oh!" I gasp, for at the sound of my voice, the baby kicks the side of my stomach. Seeing her there on the screen and feeling her in my tummy at the same time promptly makes me burst into tears.

"What's wrong?" Harry asks, kneeling beside me. I shake my head and wipe my eyes.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything is so right," I declare, and he smiles back at me and kisses my forehead.

"I know how you feel," he reassures me.

"Have you been talking to your baby recently, Mrs. Potter?" inquires the nurse. Slightly ashamed, I nod. I'd taken to talking to the baby recently while I was on bed rest, simply to have something to do. "Well, it seems as though she now recognizes the sound of your voice," the nurse announces, and my hand flies to my mouth.

"Are you serious?" I gasp, and she nods. "That's amazing! Hi, baby," I coo, and am rewarded with a kick. The nurse starts to speak again, but I'm too lost in the wonder of my daughter. Besides, Harry's listening, so he can fill me in later.

When she finally releases us, we find Hermione pacing back and forth in the lobby. When she sees us, she runs over and hugs me.

"Well? How is he?" she demands. I smile widely, still sort of giddy with happiness.

"_She _is just fine," I announce. Hermione hugs me tightly again.

"She? Oh, Ginny, that's wonderful! Now we get to buy pink and teddy bears and discuss all sorts of baby girl names!" I laugh at her obvious enthusiasm.

"Just remember I must approve it," Harry calls over his shoulder, holding the door for Hermione and I. He gets two death glares.

"I'd tread carefully if I were you, Mr. Potter," I warn him. "If I decide on Gertrude, then Gertrude it will be!"

"You would never do that to a poor, innocent child," Hermione remarks, and I scowl at her.

"Who's side are you on?" She smiles innocently. I ignore her all the way back to St. Mungo's, irrationally angry with her. I suppose it's the hormones, and I seize them as an excuse to be angry. Which they probably are the reason. But I really don't care right now.

I know it seems ridiculous, but after being on bed rest for nearly three months, I'm absolutely exhausted by the time we return from our outing. Harry's barely got me on the couch when I fall asleep.

Even in my dreams, I see my redheaded little girl. My everything. My hopes and dreams for the future, everything I've missed since I realized Lily and Connor were growing up. And I finally feel comfortable and relaxed, and not so miserable about bed rest. For I now know that I'm carrying a baby girl. And to me, she has just become the most precious thing in the universe.

**Hope you don't mind the mildly cheesy ending. I just wanted to say that yes, we are skipping around quite a bit in this story, but it's not set to be very long. I think...four, five more chapters? Not very many. **

**But the real purpose of this note here is to thank my amazingly lovely, wonderful reviewers. I love that there's so many of you reading this from After the War, and I love that I've gotten a few new friends, too! So whether you are new or old, whether you liked it or not...please review! And thank you for your wonderful words! You guys inspire me and I love it!  
**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	9. Welcome, Baby!

**I'm sure you all don't want to hear excuses, but the truth is that my life is spiraling out of my control. Everything is just...not working out. But despite the chaos, I've got you a new chapter. Hope you enjoy and please leave a review. That would really help right now.**

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, as you all should very well know by now.

Chapter 8: Welcome, Baby!

"Ugh," I moaned, flinging my head back dramatically so that it hit the pillow.

"What's the matter, love?" Harry asked calmly, pulling out his pajama bottoms.

"I want this baby out!" I complained, rolling onto my side. It was July 14th, my due date, and all day I'd been waiting for my daughter to make an appearance. And I'm still pregnant. The only good news is, I get to get off bed rest. I've been walking all over the house today, just because I can.

"She'll come when she's ready, love," Harry replied softly, climbing into bed with me.

"Well, she needs to be ready now," I answered sourly. Harry smiled, then kissed my forehead gently but didn't answer. Grumpily, I grabbed the remote off the side table and pointed it at the strange contraption Harry claimed was a TV. I pressed a little white button. Nothing happened. I frowned at it, then remembered I needed to press the red button with the circle. So I did. Nothing happened.

"Are you pressing the right one, Ginny?" Harry asked, not looking up from the report he was reading.

"Yes! The red one with the circle, right?" I asked. He nodded. I stretched out my arm and pressed the buttons harder. Nothing happened.

"COME ON!" I screamed in frustration, banging it on the table. "WORK, YOU STUPID PIECE OF-oh!"

"What?" Harry asked, looking over at me.

"She kicked," I answered. "Harder than she normally does."

"Maybe that's a good sign," Harry replied, shrugging. "Maybe she'll be ready to come out tomorrow."

"Maybe," I muttered, my attention back on the TV. I pressed the buttons harder again, then got pissed off when nothing happened. After several fruitless attempts, I swore at the damn thing and chucked it across the room. It hit the wall and fell to the floor with a satisfyingly loud _CLUNK_.

"What the hell?" Harry asked, jumping. He'd become so absorbed in his report he failed to notice my troubles with the damn remote.

"It's being stupid," I snapped, rolling over on my side. "And I'm going to bed." I waved my wand and the lights turned out. I could sense Harry still sitting up, staring at the wall. And then he snickered. Just once. And then it became a full-blown laughing fit. I harrumphed and lectured him, but it had no effect. My final sentence to him that night was, "Well, I'm glad my pregnancy hormones amuse you so."

I woke quite suddenly, with a quiet gasp. I wondered what had caused my abrupt return to consciousness. I was quite warm and happy, laying on my side. I felt a gentle pressure on my bladder and got up to go to the bathroom. It was only as I sat up and pushed back the covers that I realized something: Harry and I's white linen sheets were covered with warm, red, sticky blood.

For the smallest space of a second I stared at it, not comprehending. Then I gasped and sat up straight, glancing down at my legs. Sure enough, my legs were covered with it. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. That wasn't good.

"Harry," I gasped, my voice hoarse. He groaned but didn't move. "Harry, I think there's something wrong with the baby!" I said, my voice growing louder. He stretched and yawned, but still didn't see what was happening. "HARRY THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BABY!" I screamed, and he woke up. His bemused eyes traveled from the stained sheets to my red legs, to my panicked face.

"Oh my God," he gasped, looking all around again. "Oh my God! Ginny, why the hell didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"Because I just woke up myself! You have to get me to the hospital now, this isn't right, this isn't natural! I should not be seeing so much blood!" I yelled. "Get me to St. Mungo's now!"

"But what about Connor and Lily?" he asked, already pulling on a T-Shirt. "They need someone to watch over them! We can't leave them here, they're Potter children!"

"And so is this!" I gasped, pointing at my stomach. "Harry, we've got loads of wards up, they'll be fine for five minutes! Get me to the hospital! Our daughter could be dying right now!" My words shake him, and he rushes around the room, grabbing my overnight bag and helping me slowly to my feet. We make our way across the landing and down the stairs before I feel it. Another gush has just oozed between my legs. I pause and look down, wondering...yes.

"Harry," I said, fighting to keep my voice calm. "My water just broke."

"Damn," he swore. "Alright. Come on." He helped me into the Floo and moments later, we were there.

"Excuse me, my wife needs help," Harry panted to the woman behind the desk. She looked up, startled, then saw the blood gushing from between my legs. Her eyes widened.

"Oh, that's not good," she muttered. "I'll page someone." She spoke urgently into a microphone sort of thing, and moments later, two men with a stretcher had appeared.

"We'll need you to hop onto this, Mrs. Potter. We're to take you straight to labor and delivery, where they'll check you out and make sure everything is OK." I nodded, rubbing my stomach gently. Please let her be OK, please let her be OK...

"Harry," I said firmly once they got us into the room. "You need to go to the Burrow and tell Mum to go over and sit with Lily and Connor. No arguing!" I added as he opened his mouth. "If one of them wakes up and goes into our room and sees the bed, they're going to have a heart attack. I promise everything will be fine here. Go. We have other children to take care of."

It takes some convincing, but he does leave, and a second later, the doctor walks in.

"Hello! Mrs. Potter?" she asks. I nod.

"That's me," I grimace as I feel a fresh wave of blood leak out.

"Oh, my, we're in quite the situation, aren't we?" she tuts. I grit my teeth to keep from making a sarcastic response. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" She grabs a machine from the corner of the room and brings it over. Seconds later, that freezing cold gel is on my stomach and so is the tube. I gasp at what I see.

My uterus is so filled with blood that I can't see my daughter. Like, really. The whole screen is a giant blob of black.

"Oh my God," I whisper. "Is she still alive?"

"I don't know," the Healer answered quietly. "We're going to assume the best right now. I think she may have kicked the side of your uterus and done some damage, but I can't be sure. We're going to get you some drugs to induce labor. She should be here soon, for better or for worse."

"Please, try and find a heartbeat!" I beg of her. She removes the tube.

"I can try. But I'm going to get you the drugs first. Whether she is dead or alive, you are going to need serious help. As it is, you've lost far too much blood to be going into labor, but we don't have a choice. Mrs. Potter, I regret to inform you that there is a high chance you could be seriously injured during this labor. There is even a low percentage of death if your daughter is not born right away." I feel like my world is falling away as everything turns black.

When I reawaken, it's a few moments before I manage to open my eyes. But once I do, the first thing I register is the huge bump on my stomach. I'm still pregnant. For better or worse, the baby is still inside me. The second thing I register is a hand in mine.

"Hello, love. Welcome back," Harry said, and just by his tone, I can tell he's been crying. Which means they told him what they discovered.

"Harry...I-"

"No. Shh. Don't say anything," he whispered, putting a finger to my lips. I looked into his emerald eyes and I could see that they were bloodshot and red.

"Where are the children?" I asked anyways. "Are they OK? What time is it? What's been going on?"

"Lily and Connor are safe at home with Fiona. They are perfectly fine. The rest of your family is out in the waiting room, including Ron and Hermione. Rose and Hunter are with Fiona as well. She's watching all the children for us, bless her. It is three A.M. and all that's happened to you is that they gave you some drugs to induce labor. That was about a half hour ago, and the drugs should start taking effect fairly quickly," he reels off.

"And the baby?" I whisper. His expression instantly becomes guarded.

"They don't know. They want to treat this like a stillbirth, but they gave us a 10% chance of the baby surviving."

"And me?" I asked again, half afraid of the answer.

"They're worried about damage to your uterus, or internal bleeding. As soon as our daughter is born, they want to take you off to do some surgery. Right now they're just hoping the baby's alive and that she didn't rupture something important in you."

I let out a breath. Oh, boy. Why was there always something wrong with my pregnancies? First I had twins, then I lost the baby, and now I've been on bed rest and I might have lost the baby again.

"Oh, Harry," I sob. "Why did we do this? I put another child's innocent life at risk because of my condition! Oh, I'm so terrible!" And just like that, I'm sobbing my heart out. After all those months of being trapped to the bed, I can't even save my child.

"Ginny, calm down. Crying and stressing will only harm the baby further. Ginny, calm down!" But I can't. I'm too scared and worried and I need an outlet. I've been so stressed, all those weeks of doing nothing and wondering if Lily and Connor are OK, and if the vaccuming got done, and not being able to do it, and now the baby in danger just send me over the edge. I can't do this anymore. She needs to be born and she needs to be healthy.

"Ginny, calm down! You'll hurt her and yourself!" Harry exclaimed as I gasped for breath. And all of a sudden, a pain I've only felt once in my life wracked my body.

"AH!" I screamed, hunching over.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" Harry asked, flitting near me nervously.

"I'm going into labor," I announced, slumping back against my pillows as the contraction stopped. Harry paled as he looked at my legs.

"Oh my God," he muttered, then hit a small red button on the side of my bed. Just as another contraction hit, a team of nurses burst into the room and got to work.

"Alright, Mrs. Potter, you're about seven centimeters dilated, which is much, much more than we expected. The baby should be born in maybe two hours if you're lucky, alright?" I don't know how this woman can be so damn perky when I'm in so much pain, but she is.

"Great," I pant, right before another contraction hits.

It's a long two hours, waiting for me to dilate fully. My contractions get more and more frequent, and the doctors quickly stop the medicine they gave me to induce labor. Apparently my slight panic attack sent me into labor, something they'd been trying to do. I really want to push about an hour in, but I can't, because I'm only nine centimeters dilated. When I finally do get to ten centimeters, I'm pretty sure Harry's hand is broken and I've sworn I will never have another child again. I'm also really weak and lightheaded. According to the nurse, I've lost too much blood, but there's nothing they can do to stop me now. One came in and gave me a Blood Replenishing Potion, but it hasn't taken effect, apparently.

"Alright, Ginny, PUSH!" yelled one of the nurses, and I bore down with all my might, shoving as hard as I can. I can feel my daughter moving through me, making her way out.

"Breathe!" another one encourages me, and I inhale as deeply as I can, before pushing again.

"AH!" I screamed, squeezing Harry's hand tightly.

"You're doing wonderful, love," he whispered through gritted teeth.

"I HATE YOU!" I screamed in reply, pushing again, trying to breathe.

"I estimate you've got two more, Ginny, I can see her head!"

That sentence gives me enough strength to push with all my might.

"There she is! One more, one more!"

And I do it. With every last bit of remaining strength in my body, I push down and force my daughter from my body. Almost instantly, her cries fill the room. I cry with relief. She's alive. My baby girl is alive. I see one of the nurses pull out a pair of clippers and head to the umbilical cord.

"NO!" I scream, and she freezes. "Harry has to do it," I insist. "No one else." And my husband moves forward and finally gets to cut the umbilical cord, all the while staring lovingly at his screaming daughter.

"She's got an amazing set of lungs on her," he informs me as another team of nurses swarm in to take care of me.

"We've decided surgery won't be necessary, but we have several potions to give you, Mrs. Potter. Hopefully it will be enough. We are going to need to do one more ultrasound, though, to see if any of it takes effect." I just nod, and then they're shoving potions down my throat. After one particularly nasty one, I make an effort to speak.

"I want to see her. Give me my baby," I demand, in such a voice that no one dares argue. And there comes a nurse, with a pink bundle of blankets in her arms.

"Meet your daughter," she announces, handing my baby to me.

I take her in my arms, looking down on her tiny, perfect face. Her bright green eyes are wide open and she's panting. She already has a shock of red Weasley hair, and her skin is that scrunchy pink of a newborn. She's absolutely perfect. And I know her name instantly, despite Harry and I's endless arguments.

"Annette Grace," I whisper, and her eyes move to me. "My baby girl." She gurgles softly, her eyes focusing on me. I gasp at the way she looks at me. Almost like she knows she's mine...

"Annette?" Harry asks. It was the one we argued over the most. Harry liked that it was unusual and pretty, but I thought it just didn't flow right. I'd never admitted it to him, but it grew on me during our endless arguments. I guess that somewhere along the line, I'd made the decision to name her Annette.

"Yes," I whispered simply, and a smile to make the sun look dim lights up Harry's face. He moves forward to hug the both of us, kissing my forehead and our daughter's. All around us, there are smiles-on the nurses' faces, on my face, and on Harry's. For the first time since discovering my pregnancy, I feel happy and relaxed. I just sit, smiling at my new baby. After ten years, I can finally hold another little one in my arms. Which reminds me...

"Here, Harry," I say. He doesn't even argue with me. Instead, he simply takes his baby girl from my arms and holds her tight to his chest. I fall back against the pillows. Somewhere off to my left, a beeping noise is somewhere off to my left. It starts to slow, and I know something's wrong. Is it my baby? Is she fine?

I jerk around to look at Harry. He's staring at me in horror.

"Ginny! Ginny, breathe! Come on, love, breathe!"

And that's when I realize, just as blackness starts to close in on me, that the beeping noise that is slowing down is my heart. And I can't breathe. Try as I might, I can't pull air into my lungs. I can hear Annette crying and Harry yelling, and nurses' voices. But I can't breathe. I twist and just manage to catch one last glimpse of my husband and baby daughter before my world goes black.

**Duh duh duh! Had to have a little drama in there. I promise I'll work my ass off for the next chapter! IF you leave a review!**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	10. Will She Live?

**Hey all! Got an amazing response to this last chapter, so I worked hard this morning and finished this one off. I know I couldn't leave you hanging for too long. Sorry this is short, but I didn't want to keep you in suspense too long, that's just cruel. But anyways, here you are. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter!**

Disclaimer: It's J.K. Rowling's. Siriusly, shouldn't you know that? :P

Chapter 9: Will She Live?

**Harry POV**

Now, I've been through lots of terrifying things. I've faced mountain trolls, fought a deadly snake, defeated a hundred dementors at once, gone through Umbridge, dealt with the entire Weasley family all furious with me, and faced Voldemort a grand total of five times now. Despite all that, I can honestly say that watching Ginny go limp in front of my eyes as I held our newborn daughter was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life.

"GINNY! NO!" I screamed, lunging toward her.

"Mr. Potter, your daughter!" one of the nurses exclaimed, alarmed. I looked down and saw Annette bawling, her little face all screwed up and red. Something inside of me kicked in and I stepped away from the bed to calm her.

"Shh, baby girl. Annette," I whispered, trying her name on my tongue. Annette. Annette Grace Potter. That was such a beautiful name. I really did love it, and I was glad Ginny had come round. Speaking of Ginny...

Still rocking Annette back and forth in my arms, I glanced up to see what had become of my beautiful wife. I can't even see her in the swarm of nurses surrounding her, trying to save her. What happened to her? I don't even know. All of a sudden, her face got really red and she looked like she couldn't breathe. Had she had a reaction to one of the potions? I didn't even know.

"Mr. Potter?" comes a voice from behind me. I jump and turn around.

"Yes?" I inquire of the petite brunette Healer standing in front of me.

"I'm Jeanette Carbon. I specialize in maternity, delivery, and care of newborns. I was told to come and take your daughter away to get her weight and length and ensure she is healthy. Is this she?"

"Yes, this is my daughter. Annette Grace," I tell her proudly. She smiles.

"That's a beautiful name," she replies, scribbling it down onto a small bracelet that she fastens to Annette's wrist. "I'm going to take her down to the newborn unit and get her all checked out, alright? Don't fret, you'll be able to see her before long."

It takes a lot of strength on my part, but I tenderly kiss Annette's forehead and allow Healer Carbon to take her away. The baby needs to be looked over, anyhow, make sure she's OK. This birth and pregnancy were not the easiest, and mother and baby are both going to need serious care, I can tell already. And with that, I turn back to the room. If Ginny's not breathing by now...I don't even want to think about that.

When I turn around, I see her, her red hair splayed across the pillow, red face streaked with sweat, lower body still twisted in red-soaked sheets. I have to grab the side of her bed to steady myself when I realize that she's basically covered in her own blood.

"What happened?" I demand hoarsely of the nearest nurse. She sees me and immediately ushers me into a chair, patting my arm.

"Calm down, dearie. She's got a 75% chance of survival. We didn't realize she'd been given a Blood Replenishing Potion so recently, and that and one of the others we gave her mixed to stop her lungs from being able to inhale. We got her hooked up to a machine that will keep her air circulating, and we'll be cleaning her up, as well as giving her a few more potions to make sure she stays in her current condition in a few moments."

"A 75% chance of survival?" I ask, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden.

"Yes-and those are very good odds for a woman in her condition, Mr. Potter, don't worry." I just let out a breath. How can I not worry about her? After all we've been through together, I'll always worry about her. And besides, she looks so weak and frail right now that I'm honestly wondering if she's still alive. But I can see the faint rise and fall of her chest and I know she'll be alright. She's always been a fighter. She'll make it through.

Ever so cautiously, I reach out and take her hand in mine, forgetting the nurse standing by me. I just need to touch a part of Ginny, make sure she's still here with me. Her hand twitches slightly in mine, and I smile. She's still here. She's gonna make it.

"Is there anyone you'd like to speak to out in the waiting room?" the nurse next to me asks softly. I jump.

"Wha-oh, yes. Yes, thank you, I believe I have an announcement to make." I stand and stretch, then kiss Ginny's forehead gently. "I love you," I whisper softly in her ear before leaving the room to face our family.

"HARRY!" Hermione screams when I enter the waiting room. She runs over to see me, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys hot on her heels. For a few seconds, it's a confused mass of red hair and people screaming in my ears before Ron manages to make himself heard.

"OI! Step back and let the man talk!" he yells, and thankfully his family complies. I take a moment to inhale deeply. Hermione looks at me, concerned, then grasps my hand tightly.

"It's OK, Harry. What's up?"

"Ginny delivered our daughter about ten minutes ago. The baby was alive and seemed to be well. She is currently in the newborn ward being looked over to ensure everything is OK. Her name is Annette Grace," I announced, my voice trembling.

"Congratulations, mate," Ron said over Hermione and Fleur's squealing.

"Oh, Harry, congratulations! Thank goodness she's alright, I was getting worried!" Hermione sighs in relief, hugging me tightly. I hug her back, but only briefly. I wait until the Weasleys are quiet again to continue.

"However," I begin, and I swear I see Mr. Weasley's face pale, "Ginny...was not as OK. She lost a lot of blood giving birth, and the nurses had to swarm in and give her potions and all sorts of things before she could finally hold Annette. But something went wrong. She..." my voice trailed off as I fought to keep my tears in my eyes.

"Harry, what's wrong? Tell me," Ron said in a low, urgent voice, pulling Hermione and I to the side. "Tell us."

"She passed out, Ron. They think one of the potions reacted with another in her system...she couldn't breathe. I was standing there, holding Annette, and Ginny's face just started getting red and I could see her trying to breathe...but she couldn't. I'm pretty sure she almost died," I confess, burying my head in my hands.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione gasped, hugging me as best she could. Ron gripped the arm of the closest chair very tightly.

"And?" he asked tersely.

"She's alive," I assured him. "But she's hooked up to this machine because she can't breathe on her own. It could be awhile...she might go into a coma. They gave her a 75% chance of survival."

I can see the tears in Hermione's eyes, even as she tries to hold them in.

"Harry, those aren't bad odds. Ginny's a fighter, she'll make it through," she tried to reassure me. I tried (and failed) to smile at her, but glanced at Ron. He nodded, and I knew he understood that Ginny's odds weren't good at the moment.

"I need to get back to her," I muttered. "Tell your family I'm sorry, but I need to go. I need to be there when...if...she wakes up. And if Annette comes back, they're going to need me there as well."

"We'll tell them, Harry," Ron promises. I share a glance with him, and I'm once more grateful I met him on the train all those years ago. He hugs me briefly, and so does Hermione, before they return to the Weasleys. I, on the other hand, head back through the doors.

When I reach Ginny's room, the first thing I register is the slow beeping noise that means her heart is still beating. Thank Merlin. The second thing I notice is the two nurses who are attending to her.

"How is she?" I ask, and one of them jumps.

"Oh-Mr. Potter," she sighs, pressing a hand to her chest. "You gave me a fright."

"I'm sorry," I reply. "How is she?"

"She's doing quite well. This one's a fighter," the nurse answered, smiling fondly at Ginny. "She may be out for the rest of the day, and she'll have to stay for at least a week, just to relax and make sure we know what happened in her uterus and her lungs-but in the long run, there will be no permanent damage."

I breathe a sigh of relief and sink into the chair next to her. I can't help but notice that they've cleaned her up and put her in a new bed, a much more comfortable. They've sponged her face, and her coloring is back to normal. She really is going to be fine. I reach out and take her hand again.

"Hey, love. I'm back. Your daughter is beautiful, she's going to look just like you. She's doing wonderfully. You just need to concentrate on getting yourself better," I whispered to her. She stirred slightly and mumbled my name before falling back to sleep. I settled in to spend a long few hours, preferably with Annette in my arms, waiting for my wife to awaken.

**Yeah, kind of short, sorry, but it's better than just letting you hang right? At least you know Ginny and Annette are alive. I'll update soon, promise.**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	11. Waking Up

**Hey, guys! I'm so sorry, I know it's been forever since I updated, but you can't help life. Anyways, my goal is to have this done by the time school ends, and then I think I'll take a break as a writer for a bit. It's a lot of work maintaining this, and I'm starting to write a novel of my own. I estimate we've got maybe two more chapters, and an epilogue. So, 13 in all. TSwift's lucky number, haha. Anyways, I've got to go study, so without further ado, thank you to my lovely reviewers, and here's the next chapter!**

Disclaimer: I. OWN. NOTHING.

Chapter 10: Waking Up

**Ginny POV**

I don't know how much time passes, but eventually, I start to come to. At first, it's very small flickers of sound that make me aware of it. I hear Harry's voice, nurses voices, a beeping noise that I know is measuring my heart rate. One time, I hear a baby crying, and I wonder if it's my baby. All the time, there's an irritating sensation just under my nose. I want to scratch it, but my hand is too heavy. And so I drift in and out of meaning for a bit.

But finally, I feel fully awake. I can hear the creak of a chair beside me, and the beeping noise that's my heartbeat. I can feel the itching under my nose, and I feel sore and weak and tired all over, despite having been sleeping for who knows how long. But I have enough strength to open my eyes at last.

The first thing I see is the peachy color of the walls, and all of the medical equipment on various surfaces about the room. The second thing I see is the baby bassinet at the foot of my bed. I want so badly to get up, crawl down the bed to the cot, and see my baby. But I'm too tired. And the third thing I see is a pair of bright green eyes staring at me.

"Good morning, love," Harry said. I could hear the exhaustion in his voice and see the bruise-like shadows under his eyes.

"Hey," I croaked. He smiled lovingly at me.

"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up," he admitted, stretching and standing.

"What do you mean? What happened to me? How has it been since I gave birth to Annette?" I asked, her name feeling strange on my tongue. She's my daughter, and I've barely even seen her outside my womb. I've been fighting for my life, or at least, that's what I heard the nurses say.

"Calm down, Ginny. You're doing much better now," Harry reassured me. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"That didn't answer any of my questions," I informed him. He sighed in exasperation.

"You've been in a coma-like state for three days. The potions in your system mixed to create a deadly solution, one that stopped your lungs from being able to function properly. They managed to stop it before it got too far, and you've been hooked up to a ventilator for three days. They're leery of taking you off it, don't want you to have a relapse. Neither do I, for that matter," he added, shuddering.

"What about Annette? Is she OK?" I inquired anxiously, disregarding the fact that I'd almost died. I really didn't want to think about that right now.

"She's perfectly fine. Full term, seven pounds, five ounces, nineteen inches long. She doesn't have any problems whatsoever, actually. Right now, she's healthier than you are. They've been feeding her off the baby formula they have here at the hospital. I've been doing everything for her except that, though they're trying to train me." He smiled, but it was a sad smile, a tired smile. I knew then that he'd been under a lot of stress, taking care of a newborn for the first time in his life and having to worry about me on top of it all.

"Harry...I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to...to make things more difficult for you and I-I'm sorry-"

"Shh, Ginny, love, you can't get yourself all worked up. You need to relax and calm down, alright? None of this is your fault. No one blames you. Everything is perfectly fine, I promise. Please, love, just calm down and breathe, I don't want you to hurt yourself further."

I listened to his advice and slowly took deep breaths. Harry continued to murmur soothing things in my ear until I had finally calmed enough to speak.

"Sorry," I muttered, leaning back against my pillows, suddenly tired. "You just look dead beat."

He chuckled.

"Just a little."

"So...can I meet her?" I asked hesitantly after a moment. Harry looked at me, bewildered.

"Who?"

"My daughter! It's been three days since I gave birth and I've only held her once!"

"Oh! Right." Harry got to his feet and crossed to the small hospital crib at the end of my bed. He reached down and, very gently, lifted a bundle wrapped all in pink out of the crib. He shifted her so she was in a good position in his arms, then carried her over to me.

"Ready?" he asked, and I nodded, lifting my heavy arms out for her. And at last, he placed Annette very gently in my arms. I knew she was a healthy weight, but honestly, she felt like she weighed 50 pounds to me in that instant. Still, I held her close, looking down into her tiny face.

Her eyes were closed, but she had a bit more red hair coating her head, and her coloring was not the brilliant pink of a baby who has just been born. She stirred slightly and I caught one of her tiny hands in mine. I counted her five fingers over and over, wondering at how small they were. She was perfect, in my eyes.

"Oh, Harry," I whispered, my eyes welling up as I held her in my arms. He just smiled at me.

"I know, love."

"She's so beautiful! Oh, I'd forgotten what it's like to hold a baby," I sighed, holding her tighter, ignoring my arms, which were screaming in pain.

"It's been about eleven years," Harry reminded me. I sighed.

"I know." I was silent for a moment, before a thought struck me. "Harry!"

"What?"

"Have Lily and Connor met Annette yet?" I asked. "Have they been here?"

"No, love. They've been staying with your mum and dad," he told me. I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Do they even know she's here?" I asked. He nodded.

"I took them to the Burrow, and I told them all about her when I did. They think you just need to stay in the hospital a few days because the birth was so hard on you. I didn't tell them much, I didn't want to worry them."

"They need to come in," I declared. "Now."

"Ginny, you aren't in any condition to receive visitors. They wouldn't even let your mother in here. They're quite worried about you, love...they want to make sure you're going to be OK."

"Harry, can you take her?" I panted. "Please?" He lifted Annette from my arms with ease, and I fell back onto the pillows. Quickly, he laid her gently back down in her crib and hurried back over to me.

"Ginny, what's the matter?" he asked, touching my forehead, listening for the beeping of my heart. It was still quite steady.

"I just...she's so heavy, Harry," I sighed, closing my eyes as I lay on the pillows.

"She's only seven pounds, love."

"I know," I replied, hating that I felt so weak. "But I...I just have no energy...and I'm so hungry..."

"I'll page a nurse. You haven't eaten in awhile, love. They gave you all the nutrients through potions and an IV, but I don't know how they'll feel about giving you solid food."

"Right," I muttered. "You do that, and I'll take a little nap."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Ginny," Harry began, but that was all I heard before I once again fell into a deep slumber.

"Ginny? Ginny? Can you wake up for me, dear? Ginny, come on, dear. You need to wake up now."

Something cold is touching my forehead, and I don't like it. I try to squirm away, but it's persistent and stays there.

"Ginny," comes a new voice, this one male. I'd know that voice anywhere. It's Harry's voice. "Come on, love, you gotta wake up now. Don't you want to see Annette again?"

At the sound of my daughter's name, I force myself to open my eyes. There's a nurse with kind but worried blue eyes standing over me, her hand on my forehead, peering down at me. Harry's right beside her, a bundle of pink blankets in his arms.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Potter," the nurse greets me, stepping back a bit. "I'm Healer Welker, and I'll be taking care of you for the duration of your stay. I know you probably would be more comfortable sleeping, but you've been sleeping for nearly three days and we've got to get some food into you." I'm feeling really groggy right now. Everything seems to be in a fog.

"Ginny, they're going to feed you some solid food now, alright? They want you to start getting stuff back in your system, so hopefully you'll be able to go home soon. Then we can see Lily and Connor!" The sound of my twins' names helps to revive me some.

"Hey beautiful," Harry murmured, grinning at me. I made an effort to smile back.

"Hi," I replied, wincing at the sound of my voice. It's cracked and dry, like I've forgotten what water is.

"Alright, dearie, we've got some cottage cheese for you. Nothing big, just get some protein and dairy into you," Healer Welker announced, bringing over a bowl full of lumpy white goo. "Up you get there, dear, that's it..." With the nurse's help, I manage to hoist myself into a sitting position. The fog in my head has cleared a little by now, and I'm very aware of Annette's soft cooing in Harry's arms.

"What's wrong, dear?" Harry asked, noticing my gaze.

"She's-she's going to-" and sure enough, Annette starts bawling before I can even finish my sentence. "She's hungry," I tell him, reaching out for her. "Can I please feed her?" I asked the nurse, glancing up at her.

"Certainly, dear, but you'll have to give her the hospital formula; she's too adjusted to that to change now." I just nod. Sure, I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to breast-feed, but I'll deal. I cuddle Annette gently until the nurse comes back, and then I guide the bottle to her lips.

"There you go, sweetie," I whisper to her, watching her suckle at the bottle. I can't stop the huge smile from spreading across my face. Finally, after all these years of wishing, I have my very own baby back in my arms. And right now, that's about the best thing I could imagine.

**K, I know I forgot the food, but honestly, she just ate it. There isn't really much you can say there. Next ch. will be Lily and Connor meeting their little sister! Please leave a review! Oh, and also, I've been pondering this recently-Harry/Hermione or Ron/Hermione? I'm a huge Ronmione shipper myself, but I was trying to write a one-shot for Harry/Hermione the other day, and nothing worked right, and I was having such issues and I was about to scream in frustration when it hit me...It just doesn't work. It doesn't work because they weren't meant to be. But I just wanted to hear your thoughts, so if you could share, I'd be happy to hear what you all think!**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	12. Meet the Family Part 1

**8 reviews. _8 _reviews. Really? Really? All the love and amazingness I get for After the War and now I get _EIGHT_ reviews on a chapter? I'm not happy. *has sudden urge to quote The Incredibles*. Not happy. You guys have continuously said you want more. And eight people of the hundreds that have subscribed to this are reading it? Thanks, guys. Really feeling the love. Nice. **

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 11: Meet the Family Part 1

It's been about a week since I first woke up, and I'm pretty much back to normal. I can get up and walk around on my own for as long as I need to, and I'm back on a healthy diet. Annette has grown a lot, she's a bit heavier, but much easier for me to lift. She's so full of life and happy! Already I can tell she's going to be a wonderful, bubbly person.

Today is the day I'm going to officially introduce her to my family. I'm being released from the hospital and Harry and I are heading over to the Burrow where everyone is going to be gathered. Bill, Fleur, Victoire, Dominique, and Louis; Charlie, Fiona, Ethan, Thomas, and Danielle; Percy, Audrey, Molly, and Lucy; George, Angelina, Skylar, Fred, and Lee; Ron, Hermione, Rose, and Hunter; and, of course, Mum and Dad. It's strange how much our family has grown since I came back ten years ago.

"Ready, Ginny?" Harry asks, jerking me out of my thoughts. I nod, grabbing my overnight bag from the floor nearby as Harry gently lifts Annette's car seat. He's rented a Muggle car for us to go in, as we can't Floo or Apparate with a newborn and the Knight Bus is out of the question. Luckily, the Burrow's only about an hour away. I have a feeling I'll probably spend that time sleeping, as Annette was up most of the night last night.

We leave the room and head down to the main lobby. There's a rather long line for the checkout, so I take Annette to the car to wait while Harry remains inside. Luckily, there's no reporters in the street and we make it to the car safely. I climb into the back seat with her to make sure she's safely buckled in. No sooner have I accomplished this feat than she starts crying.

"Oh, what's the matter, sweetie?" I ask, reaching in and taking her out of the seat and cuddling her. She makes a sucking motion with her lips. "You're hungry? I thought you ate just...oh, I suppose it was about an hour ago, wasn't it? Well, let's see what we have here." I open the bag and fish through it, finally coming up with one of many formula bottles I've prepared. I gently guide the nipple into her mouth and watch her adoringly as she suckles. How I wish I could feed her myself. Oh, well. I'm just happy to have her here with me.

She's just finished when Harry finally exits the hospital. He dashes over to the car and slides into the front seat. Once more, there are thankfully no reporters around.

"Ginny? Is she alright?" he asks, twisting around to face me.

"Yeah, she's fine, she was just hungry," I reply, settling her back into the carseat. When I'm sure she's safe, I make my ungainly way to the front seat.

"This car is way too small," I complain, buckling my seatbelt as Harry starts the engine.

"Actually, it's pretty large for a Muggle car," he replies. I just stare at him in disbelief.

"Whatever." He laughs, and then a silence falls in the car. I stare out the window, watching the road pass by, completely content with my life right now.

"You know, I just realized something," Harry says after about ten minutes.

"What?"

"I never did teach you how to drive."

I stare at him for a second, remembering the one lesson we'd had together. That was the day he proposed to me, the day Rookwood tortured me, the day we thought I'd never be able to have more children. Which reminds me...

"Hey, Harry, what...what did they say about my uterus?" I ask. I'd asked him several times before, but he still hadn't answered me, saying I needed to focus on getting well first. Which, of course, made me think it was in an even worse condition than before.

"Well," he begins slowly, and I brace myself for the worst, "surprisingly enough, they found that after your little, er, episode, that your uterus was completely healed."

My jaw drops. "You're kidding!"

"Nope," he replies, smiling hugely at me. "Your uterus is completely healed, and they think that after about a year or so, we can have other children." I just stared at him.

"Oh my gosh! That's...that's...oh my God!" I exclaimed, burying my face in my hands. "I can't believe it!"

"I know," he chuckled, reaching over to hold my hand. "I almost did a victory dance when they told me." I just laughed at the thought of Harry dancing around the room. The rest of the car ride was silent, because Annette was sleeping and neither of us wanted to wake her up, plus I was tired. I did doze on and off a few times on the way back, and by the time we arrived at the Burrow, I was wide awake and quite refreshed.

"You ready?" I asked Harry as he parked the car. He nodded.

"Let's go introduce our daughter to her family," he replied.

"I think you'd better carry the carseat. I want to be able to hug everyone. They've seen you, but no one's seen me for almost two weeks," I commented. He nodded, then locked the car.

"Let's do this."

We held hands as we made our way to the Burrow. Before we even got to the door, however, we heard a scream from inside and the next thing I knew, the door flew open and Mum was charging out.

"GINNY!" she yelled, and plowed into me, nearly knocking me flat. I didn't care. I hugged her just as ferociously, glad to see her again. To be honest, I'd really wanted my mum with me these last couple days as I went through having a newborn baby again. Not that Harry hadn't been great, I'd just wanted another mother to talk to.

"Hey, Mum!" I cried into her hear.

"Oh, my baby girl, I missed you so much! You had me so worried, don't do that again!" She hugged me tighter to her. I caught Harry's eye over her shoulder and had to hold back a laugh. Well, Mum, about that, we might be having more kids! I'd tell her later.

"Ginny!" my father exclaimed, and I hugged him next.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Good to see you back on your feet," he replied. I made my way through the rest of the family, and by the time I hug little Hunter, I am done with hugging people.

"Wait...where's-" I start, but I never get to finish my sentence.

"MUMMY!" I hear, and I turn to see a head full of black hair and a head full of red hair running straight at me. And then slamming into my stomach.

"Mum, I missed you!" Connor yells.

"You're back! You're back!" Lily shrieks over and over. I kneel down in the grass to be at their level and be able to hug them better.

"Oh, my babies! Lily! Connor! Oh, I missed you! How are you? Have you been eating enough? What's been going on?" I ask, hugging them as tight as I can. Tears are streaming down my face, but I don't make any effort to wipe them away. I've missed my twins. I've never been separated from them for extended periods of time, and honestly, I sort of get separation anxiety. Hermione thinks this stems from the time when I was hiding them from the rest of the world, and I'd have to agree with her.

"Mum! Guess what, guess what?" Lily screams.

"Our Hogwarts letters came!" Connor yells before she can. And the next second, I'm having two pieces of parchment with green ink shaken in front of my face.

"Oh, really? Let me see!" I demand, and take the letters. Sure enough, the letter (addressed to Mr. C Potter and Miss L Potter) is the one I remember from so long ago. "Oh, my little babies are going to Hogwarts!" I gasped, hugging them tight. I really don't know what I'm going to do with myself when they're gone. Well, I suppose I'll be taking care of Annette...Annette!

"What House do you think we'll be in?" Lily asked worriedly. I just smiled at her.

"I don't know, but I promise, I won't care. You're my kids. I love you no matter what," I assured them, hugging them tightly. "Now, come on and meet your new sister." Lily's eyes light up and she practically sprints up the hill to Harry, but Connor approaches a little slower, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Lily," Harry says to her once she arrives at the top of the hill. "This is your new baby sister, Annette Grace Potter." And he lifts the blanket covering her car seat to show her for the first time. Lily gasps.

"She's beautiful!" Lily exclaimed, reaching out to stroke Annette's cheek gently. "Oh, Mummy, can I please hold her?"

"Once we get inside," I promised her.

"Ginny, she's lovely!" Mum gasped behind me.

"I know," I answered.

The rest of the family crowds in around me to have a look at this coveted and longed-for baby. Everyone agrees she's beautiful. She looks just like me, they say, but with Harry's eyes. With everyone so close to us, it takes a moment before I realize someone's missing.

"Connor? Where are you?" I call out. Everyone else looks around, too. I spot him trying to sneak back down to the Burrow-and once he sees us, he runs and hides.

"Connor!" Harry yells, but I put a hand on his arm.

"Let me go talk to him, alright?" he hesitates, but nods.

"I'll take Annette into the house."

"Good idea. She really shouldn't be out in the sun that long, anyway," I reply, and then leave them to it as I go around the back of the Burrow. I know instinctively where he'll be. And I'm right. Mothers always are.

He's up in the old orchard where my brothers and I played Quidditch when we were younger. Just sitting in the middle of the grass, his head bowed. I walk up to him and sit beside him, admiring the view.

"We had lots of good times out here, my brothers and I. Once they finally realized I could play Quidditch, that is." I snorted, then turned to my son.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, running my fingers through his hair. He takes a minute to speak, but I don't mind. He's much like Harry in that way: He's got to put his thoughts together before he speaks.

"Will you not love me anymore if you have her?" he sniffles, and I'm shocked to see that he's crying.

"No, Connor, of course not! You're my big boy, I'll always love you no matter what happens! Connor, how can you think that?" I'm trying really hard to hold in my tears. My baby boy doesn't think I love him. What have I done wrong as a mother to make my child think that?

"Well...you and Daddy talked so much about the baby...and you were always worried about it...and you couldn't help us any more cause you always had to lay down for the baby...and then you were in the hospital because of the baby..." he's crying now, and so am I. "I don't like the baby cause she took my mummy away!"

"Oh, Connor," I sob, and hug him tightly. For once, he doesn't pretend to be all grown up, and he hugs me back, crying into my shoulder. I rub his back, trying to think of a way to make a ten year old understand the female reproductive system. Fun.

"Look, Connor," I say slowly. "Annette is a special baby. It was very hard for her to grow inside Mummy. It was easy for Rose and Hunter to grow inside Aunt Hermione, but Mummy's body had some problems making Annette grow. Because of that, Mummy had to go on bed rest or else the baby would've hurt me, too. I was keeping both of us safe, alright?"

"But why were you in the hospital so long?" he sniffs, rubbing his eyes. Crap. That was the question I didn't want him to ask.

"When Mummy gave birth to Annette, there were too many potions in my system. They worked in a strange way and made me sick. I just had to recover from being all sick, so that I could be a good Mummy to you and Lily and Annette."

"But you're OK?" he asks worriedly, staring up at me.

"Yes, I'm fine, I promise. And I love you very, very much," I reassure him, hugging him tightly again. We stay like that for a moment before I finally release him. "Come on, big guy, let's go meet your baby sister."

"OK," he agrees, and together we set off towards the Burrow. I can see he's still a bit nervous to meet his sister, however, but I don't say anything. I know he'll come-Connor's brave, he's sure to be a Gryffindor.

"Ginny?" Harry calls as we reach the door.

"Coming," I reply, taking Connor by the hand and leading him into the living room.

My family are scattered around the room on couches, armchairs, and the floor. Harry and Lily are on the couch, a bundle of pink blankets in Lily's arms. She smiles at Connor, and I know she understands how he feels. My twins really have that unique relationship. Just like...like Fred and George. Oh, Merlin, now I'm going to cry.

"Come here, Connor," Lily calls softly across the room. "Come meet your sister." Connor glances up at me and I nod. Together, we cross the room. Just in front of Lily, he stops, eyeing the pink warily.

"It won't bite. I promise," Bill assures him, and the whole family laughs, even Connor managing a small smile. Then, taking a deep breath, he leans over and stares at the bundle. Instantly, his entire face relaxes as he takes in the sight of his little sister. Lily gasps.

"Mummy, she opened her eyes! They're...they're just like mine," she whispers, her own beautiful emerald eyes filling with tears.

"Can I hold her?" Connor asks, taking a seat on the couch. Lily carefully hands Annette to him, and (though I know he'd never admit it) Connor looks a little emotional as she continues to stare up at him. Lily curls into his side and wiggles her fingers at the baby. I cover my mouth with my hand to stop my cry from escaping my mouth. Harry stands up and hugs me.

"That went well," he mutters into my ear, and I just chuckle.

"Let's see if you still think that when I tell you what happened," I mutter back.

"What was his problem?" Harry inquires, but I shake my head.

"Later, OK?"

His emerald eyes burn into mine. "Later." And he leans down to kiss me in front of the entire family. A soft, sweet, gentle kiss that leaves me wanting more. But, of course, we're in front of our family, and I have to pull away.

"Aw," George snickers.

"Shut up," I mutter, sitting down next to Connor on the couch. "Does anyone else want to hold her?"

"I do!" Victoire and Dominique shriek at the same time. Charlie and Fiona's daughter, Danielle, bounces over, as do Molly and Lucy. Pretty much all of the female members of the family come over to meet her, though Bill and Percy come, too. Charlie hangs back, looking a little wary. But Connor doesn't want to give her up.

"Please, Mummy, just five more minutes," he complains when I try to take her away. "Lily got to hold her longer than me." I roll my eyes, but allow him a few more minutes. Mum chuckles.

"Ron was the same way with you when you were born," she sighs. "I could barely get you out of his arms. Very protective of you, he was."

"Yeah, I know," I reply, remembering his reaction each time I got a boyfriend.

"You know you love it," he smirks, giving me a hug. I hug him back, then glance at the clock.

"Alright, Connor, let Victoire hold her now."

"No, Mummy, please don't-ew!" He crinkles his nose and holds Annette out to me. I take her and realize immediately-she's got a dirty diaper.

"Oh, my. Harry, can you hand me the diaper bag?" I ask, holding out my hand for it. He grabs it and leaps to his feet.

"I can do it," he insists, holding out his hands for her. But I shake my head.

"Hand me the bag, please."

"Ginny, I'm perfectly capable of-"

"I know that, Harry, but you've done it for a week and I barely know her!" I reply, my voice rising. "_Give me the bag._" And he does, looking a little scared. I grab it and stomp upstairs, trying to hide my tears. The truth is, I'm slightly jealous of Harry. I love him to no end, but he's known our daughter longer than I have, and I carried and gave birth to her! And then, you know, almost died doing it, but she's still my daughter, too!

"You're being stupid," I tell myself firmly as I change Annette's diaper. "Being stupid. Harry isn't going to take her away. There's nothing threatening her this time." I might be mental, but I think I'm so nervous about her because of what happened the last time I gave birth. I was seventeen, alone, and terrified that someone would find out and that they'd be in the spotlight. But now, I'm married to Harry and no paparazzi can come near our house. Everything is safe now. I guess I'm just going to have to adjust. So I try to calm myself by singing, which really doesn't work. Annette seems to like it, though. The only one who doesn't like my singing is Lily. She never did, for some reason. Who knows.

When I return to the first floor, I find all the females in the middle of preparing lunch, with our various children on the floor.

"Why, exactly," I inquire, plopping Annette down in her car seat (which had been mysteriously moved in here) "Are we minding all the children _and _cooking lunch?" This stops everyone cold.

"She's got a point," Angelina reflects. "I think it's time they started pulling their weight as a father. Skylar, Fred, Lee! Come here. You're going to go see Daddy." They cheer and run out of the kitchen. Hermione gathers Rose and Hunter and takes them to Ron, scowling all the while, and Victoire, Dominique, Louis, Ethan, Thomas, Danielle, Molly, and Lucy run into the room, heading for Bill, Charlie, and Percy. I take Connor and Lily's hands and escort them to Harry as well.

"Where's Annette?" he asks.

"_I'll _watch the baby," I snap back, marching into the kitchen. I turn to slam the door and just barely catch sight of the stunned and hurt expression on his face.

"Ginny?" my mother asks quietly. And with that one simple word, I burst into tears.

**Should I continue? Does anyone out there even want me to? Hmm? Well, do me a favor and CLICK THE GODDAMN REVIEW BUTTON!**

**Lovelovelove -D-  
**


	13. Meet the Family Part 2

**I don't have to explain myself to any of you, alright? None of you know how hard I work for this story, and yelling at me in reviews doesn't make me any happier. I'm posting the epilogue tomorrow and then I'm done writing. For a long time.**

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 12: Meet the Family Part 2

"Ginny!" Hermione gasps, hurrying over to me. "What's the matter? Oh, please don't cry!" She and Mum help me over to a chair, shushing me all the way. Fleur and Fiona both put down their pots, pans, and food to help, but Angelina continues to cook. She's not one for emotions, and I don't blame her. I'm not really one for emotional outbursts myself, but hey, I just got out of a one-week period of people worrying I might die. Not fun.

"Ginny?"

I can hear lots of male voices calling from the other room, and I realize that my brothers or my husband may have heard me. Oh, great.

"Don't let them in," I gasp. "Please. I just need a moment, alright?"

"Sure, girl. Don't worry," Angelina answers, storming over to the door just as it starts to open. "Out! Out! All of you, out! She's fine! I'm cooking! Get out! Out!"

"Wait-but-Ginny!" Harry calls. Oh, my God. He might be sweet, but damn, he can be a pain.

"GO AWAY!" I scream at him, getting up and whirling around to glare at him, eyes full of tears. Can he not understand that I just need a moment to myself? I feel a pain rip through me as he stares at me, hurt and angry. Then, without a word, he turns and walks back into the living room. I sink back down, sobbing. Angelina plops a cup of tea in front of me.

"Talk, girl." And I do.

"I don't even know what the hell's wrong with me. I mean, I was a little stressed in St. Mungo's while recovering, because it seemed like Harry was doing everything for the baby, and now I feel like I don't even know her! And I carried her!" I'm pretty much sobbing now. Hermione wraps an arm around me and Mum rubs my back.

"Don't worry, Ginny," Fleur says suddenly. "I felt ze same way after geeving birth to Louis. I had to rest a lot and Bill was always taking care of 'im. I felt like I did not know my own son!" She shook her head. "But what you 'ave to realize is zat zey are not taking away ze baby. It ees their baby, too. Parenting is a two-person job," she added, smiling at me. "And eet ees not always easy, but in ze long run, it pays off."

"But what if someone tries to take her and Harry's not looking? I don't want her-"

"Ginny," Hermione says firmly, cutting me off. "You're being stupid. Harry's not going to let her out of his sight, you know that. I think you're still haunted by all the worrying you did with Lily and Connor. You need to calm down and take a deep breath, and realize that you and Harry are together now, and that nothing will happen to Annette."

Maybe she's right. Maybe I am still haunted. God knows I worried a hell of a lot about the press and my family finding out when I had Lily and Connor. I've tried to bury those feelings inside me, but between worrying about Annette and then having to recover, the feelings of being on edge and stressed out have rekindled. And I know that I've got to work through this. I take a deep breath and wipe my eyes.

"You're right," I mumble. "I am being stupid. I'm sorry. I just...I don't know. I'm sort of a raging ball of hormones right now."

Everyone laughs.

"You certainly are, Ginny. And I was the same way after Ron was born. I wouldn't let anyone else touch him for awhile. I think it's just a mothering instinct. What you've got to realize is that he loves you and Annette, and he wants to help. Remember that it's his first time raising a baby, too," Mum says. I nod.

"I think I need to talk to him," I admit. "Can we talk somewhere we won't be overheard?"

"Sure. Just head out to the garden or something. Hermione will watch Annette," Mum promises. "Good practice for her, anyway."

"Wait, what?" I ask, halfway to the door. Hermione beams.

"I hadn't gotten around to telling you yet, Ginny, but...I'm pregnant!" she exclaims, positively glowing. My mouth drops.

"Hermione, that's wonderful! Congratulations!" I run over and hug her tightly. "How far along are you?"

"About two months. I didn't realize it for the longest time, but thankfully I haven't had any alcohol," she sighs. "I'm so happy! I made the announcement around three days after you gave birth to Annette and everyone knew you would be alright."

I beam at her and hug her again.

"That's brilliant, Hermione, I'm so happy for you! That means your child and Annette will be going to Hogwarts about the same time!"

"I know! That's amazing, isn't it?" Hermione gushes.

"Ladies, I hate to break this up, but Ginny, if you want to talk to Harry, now would be a good time. Fleur and Angelina are nearly done with the roast, and potatoes don't exactly take very long to cook," Fiona points out. I nod.

"Alright, then. Congratulations again, Hermione, we can talk more when I get back," I assure her, and slip through the door into the living room.

It's like walking into a three-ring circus. The older children are running everywhere, dancing and flailing limbs and yelling, and the younger children are hiding from them, slightly intimidated.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?" I yell at the top of my lungs, and everyone stops to stare at me. Behind me, Mum, Fleur, Fiona, Angelina, and Hermione come spilling out of the kitchen, Annette in Hermione's arms. There's a split second of silence as the women take in the mess left over. And then the bombshell explodes.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Mum screams.

"RONALD WEASLEY, THIS IS NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN, HOW DARE YOU LET THEM-"

"GOING TO MURDER YOU, GEORGE WEASLEY-"

"I WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED IT OF YOU, ARE YOU NOT CAPABLE OF BEING A FATHER?"

In all the yelling, I see Annette waken and start to cry. Hermione notices immediately, but I'm already over there shushing my baby and pulling her close to me. In a second, Harry's at my shoulder.

"Can we talk?" I ask him quietly. He nods, and we slip out of the yelling and chaos and into the sweet peace and quiet of the garden.

"Harry...I'm sorry," I blurted out as we walked towards the edge of the woods. "I was being so stupid, and ridiculous, but you have to understand...I'm just scared something will happen to her. All the time I spent trying to hide Lily and Connor...well, I'm just worried that something will happen to Annette and that I'll have to hide her from everyone again." Harry sighs and shakes his head.

"Don't be like that, Ginny. Really. Everything's safe now, I promise. Nothing's gonna happen to us. We finally get to have a happy family, one full of love and caring, just like I've always wanted. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you'd feel this way. But don't worry, alright? We're safe now. Always."

And with that, he pulled me into a kiss, and I felt myself melt in his arms, knowing that, finally, after all this time, everything was going to be alright.

**I know it's shitty, and I apologize to those who wanted better. But just look at the reviews I've received. I'm sick of flaming and people being mean. I'm gonna enjoy my summer, and crappy reviews aren't gonna bring me down. I've lost my passion for this story. I'm dead sick of it. So, this is it. I'm done. Hopefully, it's acceptable. I'm so sorry to those who have been decent people, but I'm just done. **

**-D-  
**


	14. Epilogue

**Alright, so, listen, and listen good. I am NOT, and never will be, one of those authors that begs for reviews. I was simply venting my frustrations at the minimal response I was getting, despite my efforts to get this to you. I know most people on here expect authors to update within a few hours, but the truth is, our lives are every bit as crazy and unpredictable as yours are. So please, think before you review and BE POLITE. Thank you to everyone who has been lovely, I've gotten the nicest reviews recently, and you gave me enough passion to finish this properly. So it is with great pride and sadness that I present the Epilogue of The Years Between.**

Disclaimer: Figure it out, people. The fact that I am on here should clue you in to the fact that I am not J.K. Rowling and gain nothing from this.

Epilogue: What Happened After

Harry and Ginny made up and very rarely argued after the fact. They were both very much in love and not afraid to show it. As a matter of fact, three weeks after Annette's second birthday, Ginny announced her third pregnancy. Michael Sirius Potter was born in St. Mungo's on April 19, 2012, and was a perfectly happy baby. After three years, his younger brother Albus Severus Potter was born August 4th, 2016, also in St. Mungo's. All three of their youngest children were doted on and loved by the family. Harry and Ginny, meanwhile, lived out their days in happiness and satisfaction, always making sure to respect, love, and value the other. They finally had their perfect life.

Lily Rose Potter, however, became a Hufflepuff nearly the moment the Sorting Hat touched her head. In Hufflepuff, she excelled as a student and made life-long friendships that she carried with her throughout her days. Later, she became the Charms teacher at Hogwarts, and was viewed as one of the happiest and bubbliest people at Hogwarts, and one of the finest professors the school had ever seen. She met Dean Thomas II, a Gryffindor, while at Hogwarts, and they were married at the age of 21. They raised two wonderful sons and an amazing daughter. Despite the large age gap between herself and her younger siblings, she always remained close to them and supported them. She was the sister with a loving embrace or a cup of tea when you needed it-and they all loved her for that.

Connor James Potter was sent to Gryffindor after a moment's hesitation. He had asked to be placed in whatever House his sister would be in, but due to alphabetical order, he came before Lily. The Hat, knowing they were both Harry Potter's children, had expected two easy Gryffindors. When Lily was sent to Hufflepuff, Connor was disappointed and a little scared, as he and his twin shared nearly everything and were each other's best friend. However, after about a week at school, he met another boy his age, Robert Finnigan, and the two soon became inseparable, and two of Hogwarts' most feared pranksters. Despite his knack for trouble and frequent detentions, he was a very good, bright student, and enjoyed Herbology in particular. He was also an amazing Quidditch player and favored the position of Keeper. When he graduated, he went on to become a Wizarding Naturalist and marry his best girl friend, Alice Longbottom. The two of them raised two beautiful daughters together, and Harry and Ginny were delighted to have Neville and Luna join their family.

Annette Grace Potter was much like her Aunt Hermione-absolutely brilliant. She knew the answer to everything and never had any trouble having intense discussions with any one in her family about a book she was reading or the latest in the Wizarding World. However, it was only around her family that she was so open, and going away to Hogwarts was (at first) very traumatic for her. She entered Hogwarts four years after her twin siblings left it, and everyone expected many things of Harry Potter's special daughter (as Rita Skeeter dubbed her). She was Sorted into Ravenclaw almost immediately, and she soon proved herself among her teachers. She was painfully shy, however, and kept to herself and her books. It wasn't until a charming young man by the name of Samuel MacMillain approached her one evening in the Ravenclaw Common Room that she actually opened up to anybody. Once she let Sam in however, he helped her to make new friends and soon she was friends with a group of down-to-earth, wonderful people. No matter how much she loved her new friends, she was always the closest to Sam, and not one person was surprised when she and Sam announced they were dating in sixth year (Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny all took bets-and Ginny won. A mother always knows best). She grew up to marry him and became a Muggle author-and a rather well-beloved one, too, who went by the pen name Heather Vogel Frederick. She became a housewife, as she was not one to work for the Ministry, and raised all five of her and Sam's sons.

Michael Sirius Potter was much like his father: Quiet, heroic, and fiercely loyal. He was friends with many at Hogwarts, but it was well-known that if you got on his bad side, then the entirety of his wrath would fall upon you. All of Gryffindor House was particularly fond of him-after all, he was their star Seeker. He was never one for school, however, and barely passed his O.W.L.'s. Ginny wasn't pleased. Nevertheless, he became a professional Quidditch player for the Kenmare Kestrels. Growing up, both his mother and father had been supporters of that team, though they always refused to tell him the reason. As a result, he first tried out for their team and got in immediately. He had a wonderfully successful career. Three years after his graduation from Hogwarts, he married his boyfriend Leo Malfoy, coincidentally Scorpius's younger brother and husband of his cousin Rose. The two ignored all jabs by the media (which Harry always attempted to squash) and raised three beautiful, adopted daughters.

Albus Severus Potter was the only one of all the Weasley-Potter-Longbottoms to be Sorted into Slytherin. Although his and his family's initial reactions were shock and anger, everyone learned to accept it quickly and not pick on him for it-unless you wanted to get beat up by his older sister or brother. Michael and Annette were always very protective of Albus, and so were Lily and Connor-they just didn't see him quite as often. Albus was a quiet type, smart, but never top of his class, but he was crazy and wild around his friends. It took someone a long time to gain his trust, but if he wanted to know someone, he worked hard until he did. And the one person he wanted to know was Lucy Merritt, a feisty blonde in his year who didn't seem to like him. As a matter of fact, he spent all his years at Hogwarts trying to woo her. When Harry heard, he laughed, reminded so much of his parents decades earlier. And, as predicted, she said yes to him in the last two months of their seventh year. Despite pursuing demanding careers, they kept in touch and made it work, and as soon as both had settled into their jobs, they married. They both worked hard and long, and it came as a surprise to both when Lucy discovered she was pregnant. She was forced to find a less exerting job within her department, but didn't mind-her little boy was worth the risk. She eventually settled to become a journalist shortly after giving birth to her daughter three years later. Albus, meanwhile, was always very driven in his work, sometimes to the point where he would ignore his wife or children to get it done. Lucy hated it when he did this, and though the two of them fought often, they couldn't have had a better match.

And so, the Potter family lived out their days in happiness. Despite all their struggles and tears, it was the triumphs and love that ultimately brought the happiness they deserved into their life. And that was all they ever wanted-and all they ever needed.

**And there you go. **

**Now, I'd just like to announce that due to an extremely busy schedule, I am retiring as a FF author FOR THE TIME BEING! This does not mean I will never write on here again, it simply means that I will not be posting anything more time consuming than perhaps a one-shot. I will continue to write, as I hope to be an author one day and publish my own books. But just don't expect to hear anything new for quite some time. I'm starting high school, so I'm pretty much preparing for hell. But anyways...  
**

**Thanks to any and all ever-constant readers and/or reviewers. I may not have sounded like it, but I do appreciate all feedback and I love you all. I hope this did not disappoint any one. I found the scrap of paper on which I started writing After the War the other day, and I realized that this story went from being scribbled notes in pen at the back of my notebook to being full-fledged and greatly loved-so thanks to everyone. It is quite emotional, finishing the sequel, as this was my first published work-and I loved writing every minute of it. I'm gonna miss Connor and Lily and even little Annette, though we barely knew her. So please, make it worth my while and leave me one last review.  
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**Lovelovelove -D-  
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